SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEFflyers.nhl.com/v2/ext/12.03.2011 nhlc.pdf · 597966 Kim, Terry Pegula give...

SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 12/3/2011

Anaheim Ducks 597956 Ducks self-destruct, again, in 4-3 loss to Flyers 597957 Ducks blow three-goal lead to Flyers in Bruce Boudreau's debut 597958 Boudreau era begins with Ducks falling in OT 597959 Boudreau takes crash course on Ducks 597960 Final: Flyers 4, Ducks 3 (OT) 597961 Anaheim Ducks restaurant to open Dec. 14 597962 New coach, same old Ducks as Philadelphia rallies for overtime victory

Boston Bruins 597963 Bruins prep for Toronto 597964 Be better becomes B’s belief

Buffalo Sabres 597965 Red Wings take Sabres to school 597966 Kim, Terry Pegula give $12 million to Houghton 597967 Vanek is Buffalo's goal-oriented family man 597968 Buffalo Sabres lose to Detroit Red Wings

Calgary Flames 597969 Flames GM quashes Iginla trade rumours 597970 Flames take huge hit with loss of Giordano 597971 Flames' Mark Giordano out 'indefinitely' after hamstring injury 597972 Giordano likely out long-term 597973 Feaster flatly denies Iginla trade rumours 597974 Flames GM stands by coach Sutter

Carolina Hurricanes 597975 Stewart, Canes try to fight out of funk 597976 Strong second period carries Rangers past Canes 597977 Canes' coaching change no quick fix 597978 Rangers' Staal back on the ice

Chicago Blackhawks 597979 Wolves lose 3-2 in shootout 597980 Smith back in lineup 597981 Saturday's matchup: Blackhawks at Blues 597982 Hawks win 5-4 in shootout 597983 Hawks get draft pick for Klinkhammer 597984 Blackhawks will take points despite ugly win over Islanders 597985 Blackhawks’ Ben Smith scores when he gets a chance to play 597986 Blackhawks beat Islanders, but issues persist 597987 Local kid Montoya finally makes it to United Center 597988 Toews scores SO goal, lifts Blackhawks over Islanders 597989 Blackhawks survive see-saw affair in shootout 597990 Blackhawks' Kruger takes center stage 597991 Smith returns to Blackhawks lineup

Colorado Avalanche 597992 Varlamov has key save in shootout victory 597993 Ryan O'Reilly's shootout goal lifts Avs over Blues 597994 Avs hold off Blues in shootout

Columbus Blue Jackets 597995 Oilers 6, Blue Jackets 3: Jackets buried by Oilers’ 3rd-period run

Dallas Stars 597996 Stars-Islanders preview: Could Dallas go goal-crazy on Saturday? 597997 Shut up and play hockey appears to be working for Stars 597998 Two Stars prospects earn separate Player of the Month honors 597999 Raycroft 9-2-0 when given "better'' start opportunities 598000 Stars await NHL realignment debate, desire a move out of Pacific Division 598001 Visit to New York stirs boyhood memories for Stars’ Nystrom

Detroit Red Wings 598002 Red Wings notes from win over Sabres 598003 Red Wings recall Chris Conner to help spark offense 598004 Detroit 4, Buffalo 1: Red Wings win seventh straight 598005 Detroit Red Wings 4, Buffalo Sabres 1: Three-goal first period propels Red Wings to seventh straight win 598006 Wings sink Sabres after three-goal first period 598007 Wings on quest for road mastery 598008 Wings sink Sabres after three-goal first period 598009 Wings coach Mike Babcock: We've got to keep winning 598010 Strong start, another solid defensive effort gives Red Wings seventh win in a row 598011 Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader says he's fine after hit; Sabres Nathan Gerbe cut in face by skate 598012 Sabres still waiting for former Red Wing Ville Leino to pay dividends after big-money deal 598013 Red Wings defensemen active, scoring goals at highest rate in NHL 598014 Red Wings win 7th straight, beat Sabres 4-1

Edmonton Oilers 598015 Oilers Notes: Nugent-Hopkins scores second rookie of the month honours 598016 Oilers dust off Jackets 598017 Ryan Jones joins exclusive club 598018 Nuge wins second straight rookie of month award 598019 O'Marra heeds Oilers' call

Florida Panthers 598020 Tough loss frustrates Florida Panthers coach 598021 Florida Panthers Notebook 598022 Florida Panthers Regret Lost Points against Los Angeles Kings ... Panthers Roadie Continues Saturday in San Jo 598023 Florida Panthers: Without Versteeg, Panthers power play has no oomph 598024 Preview: Panthers vs. Sharks, 10:30 p.m. Saturday 598025 Panthers do everything right except win in 2-1 loss to Kings

Los Angeles Kings 598026 Next up for the Kings: Saturday vs. Montreal 598027 Kings' Mike Richards, Willie Mitchell out at least a few games 598028 Kings put Richards on IR after getting hit in head 598029 Penner gets another chance for good impression 598030 Drewiske gets to play, not watch 598031 Brown returns to right in new look 598032 Lombardi disliked aftermath of Richards hit 598033 Friday practice update

Minnesota Wild 598034 Backstrom hurt, but NHL-leading Wild chases Brodeur, wins again 598035 STAR TRIBUNE'S THREE STARS 598036 Goals and goalies aplenty in wild Wild win 598037 Casey Wellman moves up, gets first goal 598038 Wild knock out Brodeur in 1st, beat Devils 4-2 598039 Clutterbuck out tonight vs. Devils 598040 Josh Harding flawless as Wild relief goalie 598041 Wild 4, Devils 2: Minnesota puts three quick goals past Martin Brodeur 598042 Wild's Cal Clutterbuck says NHL is giving him no respect

Montreal Canadiens 598043 Forbes: Habs worth $445 million 598044 Markov's waiting game

Nashville Predators 598045 Nashville Predators give minor-league coach his chance 598046 Preview: Predators vs. Buffalo Sabres

New Jersey Devils 598047 Wild Knock Out Brodeur Early to Beat Devils 598048 Devils' Ilya Kovalchuk: His best and worst in one game 598049 Devils, Martin Brodeur allow Wild three early goals in 4-2 loss 598050 Devils goalie Martin Brodeur: 'The puck just isn't hitting me' 598051 Devils-Wild: As they play 598052 Devils' Adam Henrique edged by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as Rookie of Month 598053 Devils: Travis Zajac will miss Winnipeg but Johan Hedberg returns 598054 Dainius Zubrus takes part in Devils' morning skate 598057 Devils: Dainius Zubrus and Andy Greene will both play vs. Wild 598058 Dainius Zubrus takes part in Devils' morning skate 598059 Brodeur yanked early in Devils' loss to Wild 598060 Brodeur yanked as Devils fall 598061 Wild knock out Brodeur in 1st, beat Devils 4-2 598062 MacLean joins friend in Carolina

New York Islanders 598063 Chi as they might, Isles can’t rally 598064 Isles get a point in shootout loss at Chicago 598065 Islanders' Grabner finally a danger again

New York Rangers 598066 NY Rangers' Erik Christensen centers on road back 598067 Ex-Lightning star returns with red-hot Rangers 598068 Three bolts of Lightning added boost for Rangers 598069 Mitchell takes one for team, in the face

Ottawa Senators 598070 Brassard? Michalek a Rocket man

Philadelphia Flyers 598071 Flyers Notes: Walker clears waivers, but was not in the lineup Friday 598072 Flyers capitalize on built-in momentum swings 598073 Giroux goal lifts Flyers to 4-3 win over Ducks in overtime 598074 Flyers recall Walker, but he's not in lineup 598075 Flyers' vets make rookies pay; Walker clears 598076 Flyers' Going Longer Without Pronger 598077 Hunter hire might help Berube's cause 598078 Giroux's overtime blast completes a Flyers comeback 598079 Flyers' Jagr continues pursuit of history 598080 Flyers rally past Ducks for comeback victory in OT 598081 Flyers' Walker won't play vs. Ducks 598082 Flyers' best and worst of the week 598083 Walker clears waivers, set to play vs. Anaheim 598084 Bourdon to man blue line with Carle 598085 Tonight's game notes: Flyers at Ducks

Phoenix Coyotes 598086 Phoenix Coyotes' Kyle Turris solid in season debut

Pittsburgh Penguins 598087 No punishment for head hit on Cooke 598088 Letang, Michalek will miss game 598089 Hit on Penguins' Cooke ruled OK by league 598090 More to Penguins' Orpik than just statistics

San Jose Sharks 598091 San Jose Sharks have two wishes for NHL realignment plan 598092 San Jose Sharks report for Saturday's game vs. Florida Panthers 598093 Bruce Boudreau gets fresh start as Ducks coach 598094 Clowe's late goal helps lift S.J.

St Louis Blues 598095 Perron's return is special for the Blues 598096 Blues fall to Avalanche in shootout 598097 Blues' Perron returns to the lineup tonight 598098 Blues vs. Blackhawks: Matchup box 598099 Blues' Pietrangelo is feeling better, returns to work 598100 Final: Avalanche 3, Blues 2 (SO) 598101 Halak in goal at Colorado; Pietrangelo, Sobotka return 598102 It's official: Perron returning to Blues' lineup Saturday 598103 How quickly can Perron make an impact for Blues? 598104 Perron is eager to finally make his return to the ice

Tampa Bay Lightning 598105 Richards cherishing the New York life 598106 Bolts notes: Deficits becoming a habit 598107 Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman welcomes pressure of $20 million contract extension 598108 Tampa Bay Lightning's move lucrative contracts 598109 Lightning trade two from AHL Norfolk to Panthers for AHL defensemen 598110 Game preview: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Rangers 598111 Defenseman Matt Gilroy rewarded with spot on Tampa Bay Lightning's top power-play unit

Toronto Maple Leafs 598112 Reimer cleared to play Saturday against the Bruins 598113 Game Day: Maple Leafs at Bruins 598114 Leafs brewin’ up a rivalry with Bruins 598115 Superagent's Girl Friday helps Russian players bridge cultural gap 598116 Eighteen games and waiting for Kulemin 598117 Scrivens' net worth shoots higher 598118 Will it be Reimer time in Boston? 598119 Five reasons Leafs need to beat Bruins 598120 How to beat the Bruins

Vancouver Canucks 598121 Canucks, Flames set to renew ‘lot of history’ in Northwest hostilities 598122 Canucks goalie crisis? Call it seasonally affective disorder 598123 Canucks-Preds: A crazy game nobody could have predicted 598124 Ugly game: Both 'breakdowns' and net need better tending 598125 Murray, Bure receive IIHF hall call 598126 Canucks player ratings for Dec. 1 vs. Nashville

Washington Capitals 598127 Capitals adjusting to new Coach Dale Hunter’s system 598128 Capitals vs. Penguins: Dale Hunter still looking for first win as Washington falls to Pittsburgh 598129 Bruce Boudreau introduced as head coach of Anaheim Ducks 598130 Mike Knuble skates with second line in Capitals’ practice 598131 The Good Ol’ Hockey Game: Bruce Boudreau, Randy Carlyle and the NHL coaching carousel 598132 Updated: Roman Hamrlik out with lower-body injury 598133 No disciplinary hearing for John Carlson following hit on Matt Cooke 598134 Dale Hunter’s system creates opportunity for John Erskine 598135 Capitals’ prospect Philipp Grubauer named ECHL goalie of the month 598136 Capitals seek to create more offense from their defense 598137 Capitals recognize offense is lagging

Websites 598145 ESPN / Caps fade when pressure rises vs. Penguins 598146 ESPN / Weekend rumblings: Canucks goalie drama, Ryan trade talks, Brassard's agent angry 598147 FOXSports.com / NHL Notes: Boudreau quickly back to work 598148 FOXSports.com / Injury-tested Kings make lineup adjustments 598149 NBCSports.com / Always wanted to play in the NHL? Good news — it can still happen 598150 NBCSports. The “Patrick Kane at center” experiment is dead 598151 NBCSports.com / List of Stanley Cup riot suspects includes one with “Miss Congeniality” on her résumé 598152 Sportsnet.ca / Return on hold 598153 USA TODAY / Streaky Red Wings go for seven wins in a row 598154 YAHOO SPORTS / Blues man: St. Louis humming Hitchcock’s tune

Winnipeg Jets 598138 Jets come to Pavelec's defence 598139 Jets 'D' dominates 598140 HIGHLIGHT REEL Jets 1 / Coyotes 0 598141 Jets likely to play in Central time zone 598142 Kane never satisfied 598143 Jets Snapshots: Boos for Doan? Classy 598144 Kane made from solid stock

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129

597956 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks self-destruct, again, in 4-3 loss to Flyers

Helene Elliott

The coach was different, but the Ducks' deficiencies were the same Friday, with a lack of discipline costing them the chance to give Bruce Boudreau a win in his first game behind their bench.

Ryan Getzlaf's inexcusably petulant reaction to being called for tripping early in overtime earned him an extra two minutes in the penalty box for unsportsmanlike conduct, and the onrushing Flyers didn't waste that chance to complete their comeback from a three-goal deficit.

Claude Giroux ripped a one-timer from the right circle off a brilliant pass from Daniel Briere at 3:29 of the sudden-death period, lifting Philadelphia to a 4-3 victory and spoiling Boudreau's Ducks debut.

"A lot of good things out there, but the bottom line tonight was too many penalties. There's a lot of penalties that we don't have to take," Teemu Selanne said.

He suggested that to be put at such a decided disadvantage in overtime "it's got to be murder," and said referee Brian Pochmara "blew the game" by giving Getzlaf the extra penalty and putting the Flyers on an extended power play instead of giving Getzlaf a misconduct penalty that wouldn't have left the Ducks short. But in truth, the Ducks self-destructed again and have only one win in their last nine games.

They gave up 47 shots — not a season-high, which is a frightening thought — and took 22. Killing so many penalties tired them out and sapped the energy they displayed early in the game, when the adrenaline of hearing a voice other than former coach Randy Carlyle seemed to give extra spring to their legs and lift their spirits as they built a 3-0 lead by 6:31 of the second period.

"We have to be disappointed," Ducks center Saku Koivu said, "but I think at this point, what's happened in the last month for us, you try to grab every little positive piece that you can from this."

The biggest negative was Getzlaf, their team captain, banging his stick on the boards and saying a few choice words to the officials, though he said afterward he had said worse and gotten lesser punishment.

"It's frustrating. It's an emotional game out there," he said. "It definitely won't happen again, that kind of stuff at the end of the game. It hurt our group tonight. I'll take that on me, and we'll go forward from here."

Boudreau knew his team hadn't shown enough discipline against the prolific Flyers.

"They have too much skill. They're the highest scoring team in the league for a reason," he said. "If you look at the teams that are successful, it's not the teams that are the most penalized teams."

Initially, it seemed the coaching switch was a stroke of genius. The Ducks cruised to a 3-0 lead, scoring on a power play at 8:12 of the first period after Andrew Cogliano broke past a couple of defenders and poked the puck past Ilya Bryzgalov, and again at 10:34. Matt Beleskey controlled the puck below the goal line and passed to Koivu near the right post. Koivu sent a pass through the legs of Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn and to Selanne, who had a tap-in on the left side of the slot for his ninth goal this season.

The Ducks extended their lead to 3-0 in the second period after Andrew Gordon deflected a Ben Maxwell shot. The Flyers cut that to 3-1 on a power-play goal, a redirection by Jaromir Jagr, and he recorded the 116th multiple-goal game his career when he took a pass from Kimmo Timonen and whipped a one-timer past Hiller from the right circle during a five-on-three Flyers advantage. Scott Hartnell tied it with 3:02 left in the third period, taking a pass from Timonen and scoring from short range.

Boudreau did see some positives. "The energy and enthusiasm on the bench I thought was real good," he said. "Everybody left everything they had on the ice it wasn't a question of people not giving their all."

And still it wasn't enough. Maybe the players needed changing, not the coach.

LA Times: LOADED: 12.03.2011


Ducks blow three-goal lead to Flyers in Bruce Boudreau's debut

Staff Writer

Claude Giroux scored 3:29 into overtime and the Philadelphia Flyers rallied from a three-goal deficit for a 4-3 victory Friday night over the Anaheim Ducks, who collapsed in Coach Bruce Boudreau's debut.

Jaromir Jagr scored two power-play goals and Scott Hartnell tied it with 3:02 left in regulation for the Flyers, who trailed 3-0 late in the second period. Ilya Bryzgalov made 19 saves in Philadelphia's return from a five-day break.

Teemu Selanne and Andrew Cogliano scored first-period goals and Jonas Hiller stopped 43 shots for the Ducks, who lost for the 17th time in 20 games. Anaheim couldn't maintain its fast start under Boudreau, who replaced Randy Carlyle late Wednesday night after getting fired by Washington on Monday morning.

Philadelphia got a four-minute power play in overtime when Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf committed a hooking penalty and then slammed his stick on the glass in anger, earning another unsportsmanlike-conduct minor. Anaheim killed 2:37 of the penalties, but Giroux was left alone to score on a one-timer from Daniel Briere.

Saku Koivu had two first-period assists for the Ducks, who have lost eight of nine.

In their first time back on the Honda Center ice since Carlyle's firing after six-plus seasons, the Ducks clearly aimed to impress their new coach, playing with all the energy and nastiness they've lacked far too often this season. Boudreau also learned Anaheim hasn't shaken its propensity for needless penalties, repeatedly putting the Flyers on power plays.

After Jagr scored twice, Hartnell tied it with a close-range goal off a pass from Kimmo Timonen, who assisted on all three regulation Flyers goals.

Boudreau took over after the Ducks got off to a 7-13-4 start, falling to 14th place in the Western Conference despite a wealth of talent. Boudreau led the Capitals to four consecutive Southeast Division titles and the 2010 Presidents' Trophy while winning 200 games faster than any coach in NHL history.

The Ducks took the lead early when Koivu fired a lead pass to Cogliano, who slipped the puck underneath Bryzgalov with a change-of-pace shot. Cogliano has been one of the few bright spots of his first season in Anaheim, scoring six goals while earning a spot on a line with Selanne and Koivu.

Selanne then added his ninth of the season on a one-timer from Koivu midway through the period. Anaheim's physical play included vicious hits by Francois Beauchemin and Matt Beleskey in the first period, the Ducks showing a passion they've often lacked this season.

Gordon, who played for Boudreau in Washington last season, then scored his first goal in his 25-game tenure with the Ducks, batting home a rebound of Ben Maxwell's shot.

Jagr redirected Timonen's shot in front of Hiller on the power play for the Flyers' first goal. Jagr missed four of the previous five games with an apparent groin injury, but returned for his first goal since Nov. 5.

Jagr then scored with 5 seconds left on a two-man advantage early in the third period for his third two-goal game since rejoining the NHL this season.



Boudreau era begins with Ducks falling in OT

ERIC STEPHENS

ANAHEIM – Even with his reputation of turning a franchise around, Bruce Boudreau got the full introduction into the Ducks' manner of doing things in his first game behind their bench Friday.

Two minor penalties taken by captain Ryan Getzlaf allowed Philadelphia to gain a four-minute power play in overtime, and the Flyers' Claude Giroux ripped a one-timer past goalie Jonas Hiller for a 4-3 victory at Honda Center.

Boudreau saw a shining example of how the Ducks (7-13-5) plummeted to the depths of the Western Conference as they blew a 3-0 lead despite energized play that hadn't been seen from them in a while.

The Ducks took nine minor penalties, but it was the pair by Getzlaf that did them in as the center slammed his stick in frustration 41 seconds into overtime after being whistled for tripping. Giroux eventually took advantage of a tired penalty-killing unit.

"It's frustrating," Getzlaf said. "It's an emotional game out there. It definitely won't happen again. That kind of stuff at the end of the game, it hurt our group tonight. I'll take that on me and we'll go forward from here."

With regard to the extra two-minute penalty, Boudreau only went as far as to say that "it was an undisciplined call." But Hiller, who was forced to make 43 saves, and the Ducks were no match as the Flyers held the puck in and patiently worked it around.

"That really hurt because we killed off the first two minutes," Boudreau said. "And you have those minors, then the same guys play."

Jaromir Jagr led the comeback by scoring two power-play goals while Scott Hartnell tied it with 3:02 left in regulation. Ducks winger Teemu Selanne, who scored one of their goals, was livid at the officiating afterward.

"A lot of good things out there obviously," Selanne said. "But the bottom line tonight is way too many penalties. A lot of penalties that we don't have to take. And then this overtime.

"Getting (four) on three in overtime, it's going to be murder. Somebody's going to say the f-word to the referee and (then he gets) ... a (four) on three. That's unbelievable. Why he didn't give him 10 (minutes)? Why (did) he have to blow the game?"

Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.03.2011


Boudreau takes crash course on Ducks

ERIC STEPHENS

ANAHEIM – Not only did his first day consist of running a practice session with a new team, but it was also filled with a news conference, several sit-down interviews and a bunch of informal handshakes and greetings.

By the time he exited Honda Center on Thursday, Bruce Boudreau was ready to find the nearest pillow.

"Last night when I left here at 6 o'clock, I went to bed," Boudreau said. "It's been a long two days. But you get up at 3 o'clock in the morning ... and then you start again."

As the new coach of the Ducks, Boudreau called the process of getting up to speed on them "as crash a course as you can get." He again used the word whirlwind when describing his head-spinning week from being the Washington Capitals coach Sunday to being out of a job to being the steward of another team.

Part of his first few hours with the Ducks has been about prioritizing.

"(You're) getting in there and it's not going in chronological order that you'd like," Boudreau said Friday before his first game, against Philadelphia. "I've got to do this, I've got to do that, I forgot to do this. I'll be glad when it gets back to a little bit of normalcy. And for the players, too, to get into that routine of what they'll be used to. Hopefully.

"It's probably a little bit of a change from what they're used to. Whether that's good or bad, we'll see."

Boudreau is in the process of getting to know each player. Of the meetings, he said, "You want to make sure you're attentive to everybody and treat everybody the same in that respect.

"One thing that I've been lucky with, being in the organization in Washington for the last seven years, is you get to know the players both coming up and seeing them as young kids and then developing.

"You get to know what makes them work and what their family situations are and everything else.

"I think it's important to know what goes on in their life. If they've got two sick kids at home and they look really tired, it's not that they're out all night. Maybe they're up all night because the kids are up all night. Little things like that help go a long way."

Ducks veteran Teemu Selanne said he can see that Boudreau is making small changes but "doesn't want to over coach right away."

"He has been very positive," Selanne said. "And you can see his body language and everything. He's really excited about this situation. That's great."

FOWLER UPBEAT

Cam Fowler was put into the Ducks lineup from day one at age 18 by former coach Randy Carlyle and delivered a 10-goal, 40-point season as a rookie.

Fowler also knows what Boudreau did for Washington defenseman Mike Green, who became an offensive dynamo from the blue line with consecutive seasons of 56, 73 and 76 points.

"He did some great things there in Washington," a smiling Fowler said of Green. "He's a really offensively gifted player. You could tell that Bruce wanted him to play that way. He definitely didn't put any reins on him. He just let him go.

"But I know that Bruce expects a solid defensive game too. That's what he's been preaching since he got here. That's what we need to tighten up as a group. So obviously that's first priority for me, making sure the puck stays out of my net."



Final: Flyers 4, Ducks 3 (OT)

JEFF MILLER

The Ducks proved Friday they don’t need Randy Carlyle to disappoint.

Up 3-0 in the second period, they blew the lead and the debut of new coach Bruce Boudreau, losing to Philadelphia, 4-3, in overtime.

Claude Giroux scored at 3:29 of OT, with Ryan Getzlaf serving four minutes in penalties. Getzlaf was called for tripping and then given an extra two minutes for slamming his stick in protest.

Getzlaf is the Ducks’ captain.

Boudreau replaced the fired Carlyle on Wednesday. He began the week as head coach of the Washington Capitals, who fired Boudreau on Monday.

The Ducks opened a 3-0 lead halfway through the game, back gave it all back as the Flyers came back behind a pair of goals by future Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr.

Andrew Cogliano scored first for the Ducks on the power play at the 8:12 mark of the first period. His sixth goal of the season was assisted by Devante Smith-Pelly and Saku Koivu.

Teemu Selanne (ninth goal) made it 2-0 slightly more than two minutes later, with Koivu and Matt Beleskey picking up assists.

The Ducks moved ahead 3-0 when Andrew Gordon scored at 6:31 of the second period. The goal was the second of Gordon’s career and his first as a Duck. Ben Maxwell and Maxime Macenauer were credited with assists.

Before the second period was over, Jagr scored for the Flyers to cut the Ducks’ lead to 3-1 entering the third.

Jagr scored again at 4:46 of the third period. Teammate Scott Hartnell tied the score, 3-3, at 16:58, setting up another disappointing night at home for the home team.

The Ducks play next at 5:05 p.m. Sunday against Minnesota at Honda Center.



Anaheim Ducks restaurant to open Dec. 14

Nancy Luna

Anaheim Ducks Breakaway Bar & Grill is slated to open in two weeks at John Wayne Airport’s new terminal wing.

I will be touring the new restaurant Dec. 13. Come back to the Fast Food Maven blog for more details and pictures.

When Terminal C officially opened to passengers Nov. 14, it lacked the promised new and locally-based food options. A fee dispute between toll road officials and food tenants prevented most of the food stands and restaurants from opening on time, including the Ducks restaurant.

Food changes at John Wayne Airport. to see new food stands.

Starting next week, more restaurants are expected to open, according airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge. Here’s an update:

Local and national brands slated for the new Marketplace food court, located between Terminals B and C, are slated to open Dec. 8. The restaurants that should be open include Zov’s, Jerry’s Wood-Fired Dogs, Pei Wei and Pinkberry.

Javi’s (tied to Javier’s Cantina in Irvine and Newport Coast) is not expected to open at the Marketplace until later this month, possibly after Dec. 14, Wedge said. Javi’s will offer a condensed version of the menu favorites found at Javier’s Cantina.

Carl’s Jr. is expected to open Dec. 14 near the Marketplace food court.

Four Starbucks cafes are now operating at the airport, but that won’t last very long. The Starbucks at the Oasis Grill & Sky Lounge area, between Terminal A and B, will close permanently after the new year. That area will eventually be home to a Ruby’s Diner and Fresh Market by Laguna Culinary Arts.

Ruby’s Diner and Fresh Market by Laguna Culinary Arts are expected to open in April 2012. The latter will offer paninis and made-to-order sandwiches using seasonal produce, and natural meats. Ruby’s will have a bar.

Hobie Sand Bar, named after local surfing icon Hobie Alter, is a surf-themed beach bar that will offer cocktails and food with a healthy twist. It is expected to open after Dec. 14. Mark Christy, president of Hobie Surf Shop, said the restaurant will make travelers feel like they’ve been invited to one of “Hobie’s legendary” house parties. The Hobie eatery could be the first of many more bar and grill concepts. Others could go inside Hobie’s surf shops – similar to the way Tommy Bahama has restaurants inside its retail stores, Christy said.

McDonald’s will be remodeled. To make the upgrades, at least one of the two McDonald’s restaurants will be closed starting in January. When the remodel is done in early 2012, both McDonald’s will have more seating and a McCafe. (Get more details)

New to the airport, and now open:

Zov’s has a “grab and go” concept open in the pre-security area of Terminal A. The chef-owner of Zov’s Bistro in Tustin will have two takeout stands at the airport. (More details on Zov’s two airport food stands)

La Tapenade Mediterranean Café is open in Terminal B, pre-security. It offers grab-and-go sandwiches and salads.

Ciao Gourmet Market and Starbucks are the only food choices open in Terminal C. Sandwiches at both places range in price from $8 to $10.

California Pizza Kitchen opened Nov. 8 in Terminal A. The takeout restaurant is the snazziest new restaurant we saw on the tour. It is decorated with contemporary pendant lighting and mustard tile on the walls. Sandwiches, pizzas and salads range from $12 to $13 — a few dollars more than similar takeout fare spotted during our tour.

Vino Volo, a wine bar, was the first of several new food vendors to debut at John Wayne Airport. It opened earlier this summer. Travelers can order food dishes to go, drink wine at the bar, or ship wine bottles to specified

destinations. You can also buy wine, and take it on the plane. (Learn more about the wine bar.)

Subway is open in Terminal C.



New coach, same old Ducks as Philadelphia rallies for overtime victory

Greg Beachamm

ANAHEIM - Claude Giroux scored 3:29 into overtime and the Philadelphia Flyers rallied from a three-goal deficit for a 4-3 victory Friday night over the Ducks, who collapsed in coach Bruce Boudreau's debut, at Honda Center.



Philadelphia got a four-minute power play in overtime when Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf committed a hooking penalty and then slammed his stick on the glass in anger, earning another unsportsmanlike-conduct minor. Anaheim killed 2:37 of the penalties, but Giroux was left alone to score on a one-timer from Daniel Briere.

Saku Koivu had two first-period assists for the Ducks, who have lost eight of nine.

In their first time back on the Honda Center ice since Carlyle's firing after six-plus seasons, the Ducks clearly aimed to impress their new coach, playing with all the energy and nastiness they've lacked far too often this season. Boudreau also learned Anaheim hasn't shaken its

propensity for needless penalties, repeatedly putting the Flyers on power plays.

After Jagr scored twice, Hartnell tied it with a close-range goal off a pass from Kimmo Timonen, who assisted on all three regulation Flyers goals.

Boudreau took over after the Ducks got off to a 7-13-4 start, falling to 14th place in the Western Conference despite a wealth of talent. Boudreau led the Capitals to four consecutive Southeast Division titles and the 2010 Presidents' Trophy while winning 200 games faster than any coach in NHL history.

The Ducks took the lead early when Koivu fired a lead pass to Cogliano, who slipped the puck underneath Bryzgalov with a change-of-pace shot.

Cogliano has been one of the few bright spots of his first season in Anaheim, scoring six goals while earning a spot on a line with Selanne and Koivu.

Selanne then added his ninth of the season on a one-timer from Koivu midway through the period. Anaheim's physical play included vicious hits by Francois Beauchemin and Matt Beleskey in the first period, the Ducks showing a passion they've often lacked this season.

Gordon, who played for Boudreau in Washington last season, then scored his first goal in his 25-game tenure with the Ducks, batting home a rebound of Ben Maxwell's shot.

Jagr redirected Timonen's shot in front of Hiller on the power play for the Flyers' first goal. Jagr missed four of the previous five games with an apparent groin injury, but returned for his first goal since Nov. 5.

Jagr then scored with 5 seconds left on a two-man advantage early in the third period for his third two-goal game since rejoining the NHL this season.

Also ...

Before the game, Boudreau added assistant coach Bob Woods and video coordinator Joe Piscotty to his staff. Woods had been on Boudreau's staff in Washington since 2009. ... Flyers D Chris Pronger still hasn't played at Honda Center since the Ducks traded him to Philadelphia in June 2009. Pronger, who won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007, could be out for a month after knee surgery on Tuesday.

LA Daily News: LOADED: 12.03.2011

597963 Boston Bruins

Bruins prep for Toronto

By Jake Seiner, Globe Correspondent

WILMINGTON —— The de-mustachioed Bruins returned to practice today after earning a day off yesterday.

The focus, as it was the last time the team worked out, was to prepare for a contest with Toronto. Boston topped the Maple Leafs 6-3 on Wednesday, and will square off against Toronto again tomorrow night at the TD Garden.

The score of Wednesday's win wasn't quite indicative of the the B's performance, said Claude Julien. The Bruins' lead was one scant goal until the last five minutes of the game, and the Leafs more than once capitalized on chances created off sloppy turnovers and lackluster transition defense.

Julien had his defenseman working drills today to improve the neutral zone play, while the forwards focused on avoiding turnovers that might leave a defender hanging in a tough spot.

"I thought even though we won the game, we were not as good in some areas as we could be," captain Zdeno Chara said. "We need to get better in those areas and continue to do what we do well."

"I think if you manage the puck, you'll have success," Chris Kelly said. "If you put your defensemen in a tough spot by turning the puck over and not being in the right position to help them out, it doesn’t matter who you play but against a good skating team like the Leafs, you’re going to be in trouble."

Boston Globe LOADED: 12.03.2011

597964 Boston Bruins

Be better becomes B’s belief

By Steve Conroy | Saturday, December 3, 2011 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Boston Bruins

WILMINGTON — The numbers suggest, very strongly, that the Bruins have had it all over the Toronto Maple Leafs this year. They’ve won all three games against their budding Northeast Division rivals by a combined score of 19-5.

But the theme inside the dressing room at Ristuccia Arena yesterday was that if they want to keep their mastery over the Leafs tonight at TD Garden they have to play a lot more like themselves than they did in the 6-3 victory in Toronto on Wednesday.

Unlike past years, it certainly looks like the Leafs, boasting the NHL’s top two scorers in Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul, have staying power this year despite the fact they haven’t matched up well against the B’s thus far. If the Bruins allow breakaways and let the speedy Leafs move quickly through the neutral zone like on Wednesday, then they very well could be back in second place in the division after tonight.

And the Leafs should be pretty sick of losing to the B’s by now.

“I think they’re a team with a lot of pride and they obviously don’t enjoy losing to us the first three meetings of the season, so they’re going to come out and try to bring a little bit more and we have to expect that,” said winger Milan Lucic, who has half of his 10 goals against the Leafs. “And we’ve got to want to bring more as well. I felt there were a lot of lulls. Even though we did win, 6-3, I felt there was some lulls in our game that we need to touch up on, because if we keep making some of the mistakes that we did last game it will end up in the back of our net more than it did last game.”

Brad Marchand doesn’t feel that the Bruins have any extra swagger against the Leafs.

“I don’t think we’re confident against that team, in particular, I just think we have a lot of confidence right now in general, and we know going into the games that we’re a tough team to beat when we play our game,” said Marchand. “We do have to focus every day with putting our best effort forward and when we do, we give ourselves the best opportunity to win.

“We can’t get ahead of ourselves and think that because we won a few games that we’re unstoppable. We’re getting a lot of lucky bounces right now and some lucky plays. We do still have to be better in different areas.”

There can be little doubt where the players get that message. Coach Claude Julien, whose team went 12-0-1 in November, believes their play has slipped a bit, and it was a lot more obvious on Wednesday when the Leafs produced what was easily their most competitive game against the B’s this year.

“I really felt that the last game we were slow to react and we were that way the most (on Wednesday),” he said. “And when you give a team like Toronto with their speed and skill level some space, they’re going to give you a good run for their money.”

Bruins notes

Lucic was all smiles that his centerman, David Krejci, got a three-year, $15.75 million contract.

“It’s great,” said Lucic. “Obviously I developed a great chemistry with Krech over the last two years and it’s great to see that they’ve committed to keeping him around. He’s been a big part of this team for the last five seasons and he’s contributed to where we are now. As his linemate, I couldn’t be happier.”.?.?.

Jordan Caron and Steven Kampfer, who’ve been healthy scratches, were slated to play for Providence last night and may play for the Baby B’s again tonight. Julien expects both back with the big club for the two-game road trip to Pittsburgh and Winnipeg on Monday and Tuesday.

“We need for them to play. I don’t believe in guys sitting six, seven, eight games and putting them in the lineup and expecting them to step right in and do a good job,” said Julien. “They appreciate it as well. It’s not really a demotion when you get a chance to play.” .?.?.

Julien is looking forward to welcoming new Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine into the fraternity of Boston coaches.

“I’m not the rookie anymore, right?” joked Julien, whose tenure is still shorter than that of Bill Belichick and Doc Rivers.

Boston Herald LOADED: 12.03.2011

597965 Buffalo Sabres

Red Wings take Sabres to school

By Bucky Gleason

News Sports Reporter

Published:December 2, 2011, 5:19 PM

The Detroit Red Wings rolled into Buffalo for their only appearance this season Friday and were kind enough to give the Sabres a rude awakening. Odd as it sounds, the Sabres could someday look back and thank the Wings for showing them just how far away they were from being a contending team.

Rewind the tape back to February, and you will hear Sabres owner Terry Pegula identifying the Red Wings as a model franchise and first-class operation. He admired owner Mike Illitch and the front office for their professionalism in making Detroit a destination of choice when it might otherwise be avoided.

Pegula certainly has good taste.

Detroit doesn't win it all every season, of course, but for years the Wings have effectively forced their way into the NHL's upper echelon and given themselves a chance to win the Stanley Cup if enough things snap into place. And that's how Pegula imagines the Sabres under his watch in the years ahead.

The two teams looked miles apart Friday. The Red Wings systematically took apart the Sabres in the first period and cruised to a 4-1 victory in First Niagara Center over a Buffalo team that was simply overmatched and outclassed. It was just the latest example that showed the Sabres are a long way away.

"It wasn't good," winger Thomas Vanek said. "Detroit is one of the best teams. You can see every forward hanging onto the puck. They skate well. At times, I thought we matched them pretty good, but we matched them once it was 3-0. It was too late."

The Sabres have a 1-4-1 record in their last six games and have shown few signs of turning things around going into Saturday night's game in Nashville.

Ryan Miller will likely be back in goal Saturday for the first time since Nov. 12, when he was flattened by Bruins winger Milan Lucic in a 6-2 loss. Miller was cleared by doctors Friday and served as the backup behind Enroth against the Red Wings. It probably wouldn't have mattered who played Friday.

Add some sloppy passing, loose defense and shaky goaltending, and that's what happens against the better teams in the NHL. The Red Wings were riding a six-game winning streak before strolling into First Niagara Center and looking like they owned the place.

In fact, they did.

Detroit scored three times in the first 15 minutes and left the Sabres begging for mercy when they moped into the dressing room for the first intermission. It looked like the Red Wings were holding a passing clinic after peppering Enroth with 18 shots in the first period.

"It's no secret they've been a Grade A franchise for some time," rookie winger Zack Kassian said. "I'm sure every team looks at what they're doing to see what they can do."

Bruising hitter Patrick Kaleta returned after missing four games before aggravating his pulled groin in the second period. Nathan Gerbe suffered a gash after he was caught in the face with a skate.

Injuries haven't helped the Sabres' cause, but their biggest problem lately has been scoring. Buffalo has scored three goals or fewer nine times in 10 games and has just two goals to show for itself in consecutive losses to the Islanders and Red Wings.

"It's tough," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "You're asking a lot of kids to play against a well-oiled machine. They don't run around hitting people, but they hang onto the puck probably better than anybody."

Jochen Hecht scored the only goal for Buffalo when he roofed a nice cross-ice feed from Jason Pominville on a two-on-one break. Otherwise, the Sabres either blew their chances or were stopped cold by Jimmy Howard.

Detroit's dominance was nothing new. The Red Wings have won 18 times in their past 22 meetings with the Sabres.

Jakub Kindl, Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula handed the Red Wings the three-goal lead. Hecht's turnover led to Filppula's goal moments after Franzen scored. All that awaited both teams was the final score.

"Down, 3-0, against Detroit," Vanek said, "and you're pretty much done."

Buffalo News LOADED: 12.03.2011


Kim, Terry Pegula give $12 million to Houghton

By Jay Rey

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:December 1, 2011, 9:52 PM

Kim Kerr enjoyed her time at Houghton College.

She was a cheerleader. She played in the wind ensemble. She graduated with a degree in communications.

Now, years later, Kim Kerr is Kim Pegula, the wife of Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula, and she is showing Houghton her gratitude.

The Pegulas are giving $12 million to Houghton, a small, four-year Christian college located about 65 miles southeast of Buffalo in Allegany County.

Houghton President Shirley A. Mullen made the announcement Thursday, calling the $12 million "a transformational gift in every sense of the word." The money will be used to build a new athletic complex on campus at a time when the college is expanding its number of teams and moving up to NCAA Division III athletics.

"Terry and I are very pleased to be able to give back to Houghton College where I received my education," Kim Pegula said. "We wish the college all the best as it begins its transition to NCAA Division III athletics."

It's a big gift for a little college -- or any institution in Western New York.

As a comparison, Niagara University received $10 million in 2008 from then-Buffalo Sabres owner B. Thomas Golisano.

The University at Buffalo recently announced a $40 million gift, but prior to that, UB's largest monetary gift from a single donor was $10 million.

This isn't the first time Houghton has had such a huge windfall.

Wilson Greatbatch, inventor of the implantable heart pacemaker, donated $15 million to Houghton in 2000 for the Greatbatch School of Music. That makes the Pegula gift the second largest in the history of Houghton, founded 1883 as a seminary.

"We couldn't be happier," said Bob Van Wicklin, vice president for advancement at Houghton. "We've been talking for about a year back and forth, and it's finally all come to a head."

Van Wicklin also thanked Kim's father, Ralph Kerr. Kim and her two brothers all attended Houghton, which has about 1,100 students.

When Kerr retired as a school superintendent in 2004, he settled down in the hamlet of Houghton. He teaches in the college's evening degree program and is a big booster of the school's sports teams, the Houghton Highlanders.

When the college announced it was jumping to the Division III Empire 8 Conference, Kerr talked to Houghton Athletic Director Harold "Skip" Lord about what the program might need.

Kerr went to his daughter.

"Since [the Pegulas] have been blessed by God in a financial way, I did encourage her not to forget her alma mater," he said Thursday.

Kim was a good student at Houghton, her father said. She was a cheerleader for the basketball team and played in the wind ensemble, he added. She majored in communications and graduated in 1991.

"Houghton was a very good experience for her," Kerr said. "I'm thrilled Kim and Terry would be that generous with the school."

The Pegulas have donated to Houghton in the past, Kerr said, but nothing like the gift announced Thursday.

Terry Pegula has a generous track record with his alma mater, too.

He earned a bachelor's degree in petroleum and natural gas engineering from Penn State in 1973. He donated $88 million to the school in 2010 --

the largest private gift in Penn State history -- to build an arena and start a Division I hockey program.

Kerr will spearhead the Houghton project for the Pegulas, who live in Boca Raton, Fla.

Houghton is eyeing a campus site off Route 11 for the new sports complex. The scope and design of the project are still to be determined, but it would include turf fields for the baseball and softball teams, as well as the men's and women's lacrosse teams.

All four teams are being phased in at Houghton.

The sports complex would also include a field house, with a running track, for teams to practice during inclement weather.

Houghton hopes to have designs approved by its board of trustees early next year, with the facilities constructed and in use by late 2012 or early 2013, Van Wicklin said.



Vanek is Buffalo's goal-oriented family man

By John Vogl

News Sports Reporter

Published:November 30, 2011, 10:56 PM

Thomas Vanek has always had the physical abilities to be a great hockey player. The skills that convinced him to leave Austria for North America at age 14 have continued to blossom. They're on display nightly this season, with the Sabres' left winger prominent on nearly every Buffalo score sheet.

The goals and assists are easy to see, partly because there have been so many, but it's what people don't witness that has made Vanek into one of the NHL's premier players. There's no pouting on the bench anymore. His defeatist body language is a thing of the past. The swearing, stick slamming and weight-of-the-world grimaces are all but gone.

Call it maturity. Credit the transformation to becoming a family man. One thing to be certain of is the things people don't see have made Vanek into the gifted and consistent player they do.

"He's definitely matured," said Buffalo captain Jason Pominville, Vanek's right-wingman. "His demeanor and his attitude at the rink have been good. Other guys feed off that type of body language and energy."

"He's not as moody as he was in the beginning of the career," center Jochen Hecht said. "He's a more complete player. He knows what it takes to compete out there, and you could tell this year he was ready from the first game. He got his mind-set in the right place.

"Even last year at certain points in the season and in years before, when he missed a chance he came to the bench, got frustrated, slammed his stick and swore at himself. He got calmer in that. He got away from that, and I think that helps."

Vanek has been saying for years he needed to let go of his failures, stop being so hard on himself. He remains his toughest critic, but he agrees he's loosened the noose that was choking off his talent.

"A little bit," he said this week. "I don't think I'll ever not be frustrated. I mean, how can you not be? Especially when you feel like you executed a play like you wanted to and it ends up not going in.

"I've come a long ways, even from last year and the year before, obviously. It's about not getting too down after really having good chances and not burying those. But like I said, it's always frustrating. This is what I do, you know? When they don't go in, it [stinks]."

Aside from the overall attitude adjustment, there are five other reasons Vanek is no longer dwelling on his failure to be perfect. The first is he's had fewer failures. He entered Wednesday tied for fourth in the league in scoring with 27 points, accumulated by getting a goal or assist in 19 of the Sabres' 24 games. He's been blanked in consecutive outings just once, and he answered that with his second six-game point streak of the year.

The other four reasons can be found at home: his wife, Ashley; 4-year-old son, Blake; and twins Luka and Kade, who turned 1 two weeks ago.

"The only thing that really changes when you have kids is you don't dwell on hockey as much at home as when I lived on my own," Vanek said. "You kind of leave it at the rink and try to be a good dad at home and a good husband. That's the biggest change is just leaving it here when you have a bad day, or when you have a good day leave it here. Just be a good family man."

"It definitely puts a different perspective on things," Hecht said of marriage and fatherhood. "There's more important stuff in life than just hockey. It's your job and you're competitive and you want to win and do everything to do that, but I think when you've got a happy family and you're healthy and have a healthy family at home, that can help you out and make you a lot more relaxed."

Great expectations

There are plenty of players who can remain as calm as Buddhist monks, but few have the skill set to match Vanek. Great things have been expected

since the Sabres selected him fifth overall in the 2003 draft. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder is delivering. His 12 goals ranked in a tie for seventh prior to Wednesday's games, while his 15 assists were tied for 15th.

"The expectation is for him to be one of our top offensive players, and he has been all of that so far," defenseman Christian Ehrhoff said.

Vanek remains one of the league's best at standing in front of the net, an occupation that seems simple but takes a strong body and heartier mind. The passing touch he showcased last season while tying a career high with 41 assists has continued to develop. Just days after Florida's Brian Campbell said Vanek's speed is underrated and overlooked, Vanek bolted past the fleet-footed defenseman for one of his dozen goals.

"You want to be the guy who has the puck and either makes the play or scores the big goal," Pominville said. "He's one of those guys that can make it happen."

"Obviously, the stats show that he's great," said Luke Adam, Vanek's center early in the season. "He comes to work. When he's winning his battles, there's not many players better than he is."

Because of injuries, the Sabres have thrust Vanek into a penalty-killing role, and he's been thriving. He has always been a power-play specialist (he's second in the league with six goals and 10th with 10 points), but the added ice time in short-handed situations has been a bonus. Vanek has topped 20 minutes in four games already compared to just seven all last season. His average ice time of 17:41, though, remains comparable to last year's personal best of 17:21 -- the lowest in the NHL among the 35 players with at least 65 points.

"He works hard at his game away from the puck, which I think that area if you can clean up, it makes us a stronger team," coach Lindy Ruff said. "If he can defend as well as he can put the puck in the net, it's a good two-way threat against other teams' top lines."

Cup is ultimate goal

Vanek is pleased the positive numbers have materialized so far, but he remains focused on what will happen in the season's final months, not the first few.

"The outlook on hockey hasn't changed at all," he said. "I'm still very driven, still want to win that Cup. That's the reason I left home when I was 14, to not just play in the NHL but be successful and win the Cup."

Vanek, who turns 28 next month, is in the fifth year of his seven-year, $50 million contract. His playing days are nowhere near the end. But he saw teammates Mike Grier and Patrick Lalime leave the game last summer without a championship. Vanek realized how quickly the twins' first birthday came and envisioned how fast the next steps in their lives will come.

The moments further enhanced his maturity, showed him there's no reason to dwell on mistakes when there's a finite number of opportunities ahead.

"Before you know it, the time is over," Vanek said. "We were lucky our first two years most of us to go to the conference finals [in 2006 and '07]. Not thinking it's easy because it's never easy, but you feel like, 'Ah, we'll get there again.' Now we haven't been there in quite some time.

"Growing up with most of them, seeing their families and their changes and the success we did have [has been nice], but ultimately we haven't reached our main goal. To do that together some day, that will be unbelievable to share it with all of our families. It will be pretty special."



Buffalo Sabres lose to Detroit Red Wings

Written by

The Associated Press

BUFFALO — With pinpoint passing and precision, the Detroit Red Wings displayed why they are one of the hottest teams in the NHL.

Jimmy Howard made 27 saves, and the surging Red Wings stretched their winning streak to seven with a 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

Detroit scored three times in the first period, when the Red Wings peppered goalie Jhonas Enroth with 18 shots, and went on to win for the 11th time in 13 games. The only losses came on a West Coast swing that helped them change their ways.

"We made a decision when we went out west not to be a mentally soft team," Howard said. "We want to be mentally tough. This game is full of mistakes, so it's how you respond after making them. We've gotten a lot mentally tougher since then."

The Red Wings were particularly strong in the second period when they killed three straight penalties and maintained a 3-0 lead.

Jakub Kindl, Johan Franzen, and Valtteri Filppula scored the first-period goals for Detroit (16-7-1), which last won seven in a row in March 2010. Pavel Datsyuk pushed the lead to 4-1 by scoring into an empty net with 1:17 left.

Jochen Hecht spoiled Howard's shutout bid with 6:13 remaining.

Enroth, making his ninth straight start in place of No. 1 goalie Ryan Miller, made 32 saves for the Sabres (13-11-1), who have lost three of four.

Miller was in uniform for the first time since sustaining a concussion nearly three weeks earlier, and served as Enroth's backup. Miller might start tonight at Nashville against the Predators.

"That first period showed how a top team plays in the NHL," Sabres defenseman Robyn Regehr said. "We have to be a lot sharper right off the bat. We have to work much harder and be harder on the pucks. Once (Detroit) gets the puck, they make very disciplined decisions."

After a four-game winning streak at the beginning of November, the Sabres are on a 3-6-1 slide.

"We've got to win a game, that's the bottom line," Buffalo forward Thomas Vanek said. "We've got to make a run here."

Democrat and Chronicle LOADED: 12.03.2011

597969 Calgary Flames

Flames GM quashes Iginla trade rumours

Feaster growing weary of answering trade questions about his captain

By Scott Cruickshank, Calgary Herald December 2, 2011

One question, in a whole mess of them Friday, did succeed in getting a rise out of Jay Feaster.

The Calgary Flames general manager heard the reporter out, laughed mirthlessly, uttered a few preliminaries on the topic, then shook his head and dove right in.

Yes, time for a definitive answer. Again.

“Which camera do you want me to look at?” spouted an agitated Feaster, encircled by media at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Right here.

“Yours? OK, I’ll look straight into yours and I will tell you that it is not true. Jarome Iginla has not been asked to waive his no-trade (clause). Jarome Iginla has not demanded a trade or asked for a trade. There is no list. There is no smoking gun. This is nobody on the grassy knoll. What else do you need?”

Originally, Feaster had poked out his head to offer a status update on defenceman Mark Giordano, who is sidelined indefinitely, but he ended up spending much more time putting out fires — such as the now-neverending speculation that Iginla, captain of the Flames, face of the franchise, wants out of Cowtown.

“When it’s a non-story and we have to stand here and rebut it, the rebuttal becomes the story,” said Feaster. “I don’t know that it’s fair to the organization — and I know that it’s not fair to Jarome. But it’s troubling. I guess one of the questions I have — where do these things start? Legitimate sources? Or is it a blogger in the basement in his underwear that says, ‘This is the rumour du jour’? Then you guys feel the need to come and track it down.”

In the 15-minute conversation with local press, Feaster covered nearly every burning issue:

• Including the fortunes of his underwhelming squad (which, 13th in the Western Conference, faces a wicked weekend against its most fierce rivals — Saturday night at Edmonton, Sunday at Vancouver);

• Including the latest rumour making the rounds — defenceman Cory Sarich demanding to be traded;

• Including the fate of Brent Sutter, who’s in the last year of his deal — often a lame-duck scenario for a head coach.

First, Sutter.

“You know what? I’m happy with this coaching staff — that’s probably the dreaded vote of confidence or whatever they call it,” said Feaster. “This coaching staff has done a good job. They work hard. They have done a good job of teaching. We all know the results are not where they need to be. But, despite the results not being there, this is not a group (of players) that has tuned out the coaches. There’s no issue, from my perspective, with Brent or his coaches.”

Sutter hasn’t been re-upped, contract-wise. A meaningful development?

“Brent is one of the most unique coaches I’ve ever been around,” replied Feaster. “He does own his own business, he does own his own team — he hires coaches, he hires managers, he hires business people. And we’ve had this conversation ... that we weren’t going to talk about (an extension) ’til the end of the season. There might be a lot of guys who might be banging on the door, saying, ‘This is not right. We have to do this right now.’ Brent understands.”

Now, Sarich.

After refusing to confirm or deny the report of Sarich’s request for greener pastures, the boss did say that he is in constant contact with players. The substance of those one-on-one chats, however, remains confidential.

“Whether that’s in my office or on the bus or in the hotel suite or in the corridor on the road, those conversations are not something I feel comfortable about sharing with the media,” said Feaster. “Cory’s an important part of the group here. Cory’s an important part of the mix right now. It isn’t just the kids that have an opportunity (in the absence of Giordano) ... that includes Cory.”

Finally, the team’s plight.

“It’s something that we monitor all the time,” said Feaster. “Intellectual honesty is important. We can’t fool ourselves. The one thing we have to be is realistic about where we are. And if we’re not going to be a team that’s going to make the playoffs, then we have some tough decisions to make.”

Which brings up the cut-off point. If the Flames are south of, say, 10th place by Valentine’s Day, does dismantling begin in earnest?

“I don’t want to put a drop-dead date on it,” said Feaster. “But I can tell you this — there is clearly urgency on all of our parts. The coaching staff feels urgency, I feel urgency, the guys feel the urgency. This isn’t one of those (situations) where you sit and say, ‘Well, we’ll just wait until January-something ... and make our decisions.’ We need to get back in this thing now.”

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 12.03.2011


Flames take huge hit with loss of Giordano

Defenceman's injury worse than previously believed


No crutches were evident.

But there wasn’t much optimism on display, either.

Mark Giordano, who hurt his hamstring in Tuesday’s first period against the Nashville Predators, hobbled out of the dressing room to meet with reporters Friday morning at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

The update is grim. Giordano is gone indefinitely.

He is sidelined with, according to Calgary Flames general manager Jay Feaster, “partially ruptured tendons” in his left leg.

“Obviously not news you want to hear,” said Giordano. “I’m going to do everything I can to get better. It’s tough. You don’t want to watch your team play. But I’m trying to keep a positive spin on things . . . and, hopefully, it’s a quick heal and a quick recovery.”

Mired in the muck of the Western Conference, the Flames could ill afford this kind of setback.

An alternate captain, Giordano plays a gung-ho style, making him an ideal leader. Fearless and tough, he is currently 16th in the blocked shots.

Via swap, the Flames won’t even try to replace the 28-year-old.

“Mark Giordano is one of our two best defencemen, there’s no question about that,” said Feaster, giving, perhaps generously, equal billing to Jay Bouwmeester. “But the reality of it is, if we think we can go out and try to find some other player . . .

we can swing a trade to do that? There’s 16 other teams, at a minimum right now, that are queued up trying to find defencemen to come in and help.

“There’s a lot of character in that room, there’s a lot of character on the blue line. I know that (associate coach) Craig Hartsburg is going to coach them up and use them the right way. It’ll be a good test of our organizational depth.”

Speaking of which:

n Joe Piskula, summoned from the Abbotsford Heat of the American Hockey League, took a spin on Saddledome ice Friday in advance of the weekend’s work in Edmonton and Vancouver.

His calling card is own-zone steadiness.

“That gives us seven healthy defencemen,” said Feaster, adding that he’s also received positive reports regarding Clay Wilson and Brendan Mikkelson from the Heat.

n Anton Babchuk is skating once again. Soon, he’ll have the pins removed from his surgically repaired left hand.

Babchuk hasn’t suited up since Nov. 8.

n Brett Carson, having recovered from his back issues, is in the midst of a conditioning stint in the AHL.

“He’ll be there for a five-game span, basically,” said Feaster about Carson. “He’ll come back here (on Dec. 11), practise with us on the 12th, then fly with us when we go on that road trip down south (which starts in Nashville).”

But the day’s biggest development, of course, had been Giordano’s status.

Against the Preds, he simply went down to block a shot. Pain soon arrived.

“Just an innocent play,” said Giordano, who, on average, shoulders more than 22 minutes of ice time per night. “I think what happened was my skate got caught in a rut in the ice, and I felt a sharp pain in the back of my leg. I knew something definitely was wrong. I definitely knew it wasn’t a little tweak. I felt it pull pretty tight up there.

“But there’s nothing you can do about it now, except treat it.”

Giordano is scheduled to have another MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) in three weeks.

“At that time, we will have more insight from our medical team,” said Feaster. “At this point, we’re not putting any time frame on his return.”



Flames' Mark Giordano out 'indefinitely' after hamstring injury


The Calgary Flames had better get used to life without Mark Giordano.

Their best player was hurt in Tuesday’s first period against the Nashville Predators. He went down to block a shot and ripped up his hamstring in the process.

"We were informed (Thursday) night by our doctors, that the MRI that was done on Mark Giordano’s left leg revealed a partially ruptured tendons," Flames general manager Jay Feaster said this morning. "Gio will be out indefinitely. He will be re-evaluated, re-examined, and have another MRI performed in about three weeks. At that time, we will have more insight from our medical team as to further prognosis and a time frame.

"At this point, we’re not putting any time frame on his return, other than to say that he is out indefinitely at this point."

But his loss is critical.

Giordano, one of the alternate captains, and his fiery style of hockey will be missed, especially as the team tries to get itself out of the Western Conference muck.

"Obviously, it’s not news you want to hear," Giordano said of his indefinite status. "I’m going to do everything I can to get better. Whatever the staff tells me to do, that’s what I’m going to focus on now. The next couple of days, I’m going to take it easy and go from there. It’s sort of a day-to-day thing, with the treatment side of things."

In 23 games this season, averaging 22:10 of ice time, Giordano had gathered eight points and was minus-two.



Giordano likely out long-term

By RANDY SPORTAK, QMI Agency

CALGARY - The limp in his walk and look on his face said it all.

Calgary Flames defenceman Mark Giordano will be on the shelf much longer than everybody was hoping.

An MRI showed Giordano suffered partially ruptured tendons in his hamstring, and it will be around three weeks before he can even be re-evaluated for a more concrete return date.

“Not news you want to hear,” Giordano said at the Saddledome Friday.

It’s a big loss for the Flames, who are already losing pace in the NHL’s Western Conference playoff chase. Giordano has averaged more than 22 minutes per game this season — second most on the team — and collected four goals and eight points in 23 games before getting injured.

“We’re going to need a lot of guys to step up in this situation,” said GM Jay Feaster.

“It’s not just the kids. It gives a lot of guys a chance.”

The Flames are also without defencemen Anton Babchuk (hand) and Brett Carson (back).

Babchuk is to have the pins removed from his hand in the coming days, but is still a few weeks away from playing.

Carson is on a conditioning assignment with the AHL Abbotsford Heat.

The plan is for Carson to rejoin the Flames Dec. 11, after playing five games for the Heat, and be with the club for its four-game trip in the middle of the month.

Calgary summoned Joe Piskula, a 27-year-old defenceman who played five games for the Los Angeles Kings in 2006-07, but has been in the minors since.

“The good news from an organizational perspective is we have more depth than we had last year and now it’s a matter of putting that depth to the test,” Feaster said.

Still, you know they’d rather have Giordano patrolling the blueline, but the freak injury in Monday’s clash with the Nashville Predators has put him on the shelf.

“Just an innocent play. I went down to block a shot and on the way back up, I think what happened is my skate got caught in a rut in the ice,” he said.

“I felt a sharp pain in the back of my leg. I knew something was definitely wrong.”

Still with the defence, Cory Sarich, who was scratched in four straight games and nine of 11 outings prior to Thursday’s clash with the Columbus Blue Jackets, has reportedly asked to be traded.

Feaster wouldn’t confirm or deny the request and said: “Those conversations are not something I’m comfortable sharing with the media. Cory is an important part of the group here, an important part of the mix right now. As I said, it isn’t just the kids that have an opportunity, it’s other players on the blueline with an opportunity to step up, and that includes Cory.”

All kinds of teams are looking for help on the blueline, but Sarich’s contract may come into play right now. The 33-year-old is in the final year of a contract with a US$3.6-milion salary cap hit.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 12.03.2011


Feaster flatly denies Iginla trade rumours


CALGARY - No matter how hard he tries, Calgary Flames GM Jay Feaster can’t make the rumours of a pending Jarome Iginla trade go away.

The Twitterverse was fluttering Thursday night with reports — created by people who don’t put their face or name to their claims — Iginla was the key part of a major deal with the Montreal Canadiens, and all that was left was for the Calgary captain to waive his no-trade clause.

Feaster initially didn’t want to respond to the rumours but did emphatically.

“It is not true. Jarome Iginla has not been asked to waive his no-trade, and Jarome Iginla has not demanded a trade or asked for a trade,” he said. “There is no list (of teams he’d go to). There is no smoking gun. There is nobody on the grassy knoll.

“What else do you need?”

Sadly, we all know that won’t be enough. After all, it was just last week Feaster and president Ken King kiboshed similar reports. Iginla denied them, too.

Iginla’s agent, Don Meehan, also said his client had not been asked be traded or approached about one.

Still, the whispers about the 34-year-old winger who has seven goals and 12 points in 24 games aren’t going away, and that’s bothering the team and the struggling face of the franchise.

“Here’s the trouble. When it’s a non-story, and we have to stand here and rebut it, the rebuttal becomes the story. It puts us in a position that I don’t know is fair to the organization and I know is not fair to Jarome,” Feaster said. “One of the questions I have is where do these things start? Are they legitimate sources or is it a blogger in the basement in his underwear that says, ‘This is the rumour du jour,’ and you guys feel the need to come and track it down.”

Feaster has repeatedly said he doesn’t want to trade away Iginla, who needs nine more goals to reach 500 for his career, maintaining the veteran is working to put his game in order at both ends of the ice.

“He’s constantly working on his game,” Feaster said. “There’s no doubt last season he made a concerted effort to be a more responsible guy in his own zone. He’s trying to be that guy. He’s trying to make sure not only is he going to be productive as he’s always been offensively, but he’s going to be a responsible guy defensively.”



Flames GM stands by coach Sutter

Vote of confidence placed in Calgary coaching staff despite mixed results


CALGARY - For those who remember the Calgary Flames coaching carousel at the start of the century, this is a refreshing switch.

Despite the club’s struggles to start the season, a 10-12-2 record going into Saturday night’s road clash with the Edmonton Oilers, Brent Sutter is safe in his job as head coach, according to GM Jay Feaster.

“I’m happy with this coaching staff,” Feaster said Friday morning at the Saddledome. “That’s probably the dreaded vote of confidence or whatever they call it, but this coaching staff has done a good job.

“They work hard. They’ve done a good job of teaching.”

Remember what it was like around the Saddledome a decade ago?

For fun, or to bring up painful memories for Flames fans, here’s a recap:

• Brian Sutter. Fired April 11, 2000, after three seasons.

• Don Hay. Fired March 14, 2001, after 68 games.

• Greg Gilbert. Fired Dec. 3, 2002, after 121 games.

After two-plus seasons at the helm, Darryl Sutter, who replaced Gilbert, decided to strictly serve as GM, and had Jim Playfair at the helm for the 2006-07 season. When that didn’t work to plan, Mike Keenan was brought in and served as bench boss for two seasons, eventually fired with one more year on his contract.

By comparison to some of those coaches, Brent Sutter has had an eternity in his role despite not making the playoffs in his first two seasons, but Feaster said he doesn’t believe a change is needed at this time.

“We all know the results are not where they need to be, but at the same time ... this is not a group that’s tuned out the coaches,” Feaster said. “It (the team’s win-loss percentage) is not because the guys are not believing in the coaching staff or not following the coaching staff.”

Sutter’s contract runs out after this season, and there has been no talk of an extension.

“He’s one of the most unique coaches that I’ve ever been around. He owns his own business. He owns his own team,” Feaster said. “He hires coaches. He hires managers. He hires business people.

“We had this conversation this past summer. We weren’t going to talk about anything until the end of the season, and Brent understands that. There are a lot of guys who might be banging on the door saying, ‘This is not right. We have to do this right now’ but Brent gets it. We made the commitment together in the summer that we would talk about it at the end of the season.”

Should the Flames fail to make the playoffs, which is looking more likely every passing day, it’s hard to imagine Sutter will receive a new deal.

Still, it’s obvious Feaster and Sutter are working together to change the club’s personnel and the identity.

It’s also worth noting Feaster steadfastly supported coach John Tortorella during lean times in Tampa Bay, firing him because new owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie wanted to put Barry Melrose at the helm.

A month after Tortorella was let go, Feaster resigned.

At this point, Feaster said he expects his team to be in the playoff picture.

“When you look at the collection of the players in that room, we still have that ability,” he said.


597975 Carolina Hurricanes

Stewart, Canes try to fight out of funk

Chip Alexander

Canes forward Anthony Stewart said there never was any doubt, any hesitation.

Brian Boyle of the New York Rangers hit Jeff Skinner along the boards in the third period of Thursday's game -- a dangerous hit, in Stewart's eyes. Just like that, Stewart went after Boyle, throwing punches, drawing a fighting major but also an instigator minor penalty.

"It was one of our star players but I would do it for anyone else," Stewart said today after the Canes practice at Raleigh Center Ice. "It (stinks) that I got the two minutes but it was more of a moral victory than anything, to show the camaraderie on the team.

"We're trying to go in a new direction here and guys are going to have to do some things maybe out of their element. Jumping a guy here and there will help this team. I don't think it's happened this year where we stand up for a teammate right away, but going forward we have to do those little things and come out of our comfort zone to help us."

The Canes lost to the Rangers 5-3 and Stewart figured in one of New York's three second-period goals. He was part of a slow line change the resulted in an odd-man rush that ended with Marian Gaborik scoring for a 2-2 tie.

"We must have as much attention to detail as possible, in everything," Stewart said. "Something as small as a line change can lead to a goal. That's something we're shoring up and do all the little things that add up to wins.

"We're doing a lot of things right but having little lulls when the other team pounces on us. If we stick to the game plan for a full 60 minutes and just be positive, we should be pretty good going forward."

Canes coach Kirk Muller put the team through another long, uptempo practice today. Defensemen Joni Pitkanen and Jay Harrison were the only players off the ice.

Asked his biggest concern about the Canes after a couple of games, Muller said, "It's a little bit of a fragile team. Their attitude has been great. They're working hard. A little bad break here or there is going to kind of get them down.

"But if you look at the last two games ... they've bounced back. It's there, they're working hard, they haven't gotten any breaks."

Muller said the Canes would continue to work on defensive zone coverage and containment, as well as a new approach to handling the neutral zone.

"It's easy stuff you learn in training camp and have four or five days (to learn)," he said. "It's not going to happen overnight, but there are signs it's happening, it's connecting. It'll kick in eventually and we'll be more consistent on it."

Muller will be after his first win as a head coach again Saturday, and against the Pittsbrugh Penguins, the best team in the Easterm Conference.

"No one's going to feel sorry for us, no one's going to come like the cavalry," Muller said. "It's just us, so let's plug away."

News Observer LOADED: 12.03.2011


Strong second period carries Rangers past Canes

CHIP ALEXANDER

RALEIGH -- Kirk Muller is quickly grasping how much work he has to do with the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Canes' new coach lost his second straight game Thursday as the New York Rangers used a big second period to help themselves to a 5-3 victory at the RBC Center. But Muller was more concerned about his players, who have lost four in a row and 12 of the past 15, than any personal record.

The game over, Muller kept the media waiting a few extra minutes outside the locker room as he addressed the team.

"I said, 'Hey, no one said this thing is going to change overnight,'" Muller said. "We've got to do baby steps."

One positive step, Muller told the players, was Anthony Stewart coming to the defense of Jeff Skinner midway through the third period. After the Rangers' Brian Boyle went head-hunting on the Canes' leading scorer and rammed Skinner into the boards, Stewart went after Boyle, throwing punches.

Skinner, who scored his 11th goal of the season in the first period, was not injured. Stewart received a fighting major plus an instigator penalty and a game misconduct, but Muller said he didn't mind.

"I thought it was great," Muller said. "We're looking at all the positive situations right now that we find, and I thought 'Stewy' did the right thing. "That's what we want. We want to get these guys bonded together. Skinner is one of our top players ....We want these guys to be a family and protect each other."

But Muller also wants the Canes (8-15-4) to play well together, and soon.

On Thursday, Muller hired John MacLean as an assistant coach. MacLean, once Muller's teammate with the New Jersey Devils, was an assistant for the Devils and New Jersey's head coach for 33 games last season. Muller said MacLean would work with the forwards and head the penalty killing.

His staff complete, Muller must look to both restore confidence and get more sound play from the Canes. A goal by Jiri Tlusty early in the first and Skinner late in the period gave the Canes a 2-1 lead, but the Rangers (14-5-3) tallied three goals in a five-minute span in the second to grab a 4-2 lead.

Moments after the Canes killed off a penalty, Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh ripped a shot from the left circle past Cam Ward for a 2-2 tie. Marian Gaborik scored on a two-on-one rush about three minutes later, and Sean Avery blasted a shot from the slot to make it 4-2.

"I thought we outplayed them for the most part and then five minutes there ... bang, bang, bang," Canes defenseman Derek Joslin said.

Muller used his timeout at that point, telling his team to relax. When Joslin scored on a shot from the point four minutes later, the Canes had made it a 4-3 game.

But whatever energy Joslin's goal provided was sucked away when defenseman Michael Sauer scored for the Rangers five minutes, 42 seconds into the third. With backup goalie Martin Biron making 28 saves in his fifth start of the season, the Rangers won their fourth straight.

"It's tough but we've got to keep working," Skinner said. "We have to keep plugging away here. There's some stuff we need to work on but we have to focus on the positives."

Positives such as Stewart's stand. And Eric Staal having two assists in a plus-one game. Or rookie defenseman Justin Faulk blocking four shots in a plus-2 game.

"You can hide in a hole and feel sorry for yourself and get down on yourself - that's the easy thing to do," said defenseman Bryan Allen, who had a minus-3 game. "It's harder to bring a positive energy and outlook and a belief it is going to turn and things will get better for us eventually."



Canes' coaching change no quick fix

LUKE DECOCK

RALEIGH -- It doesn't appear the Carolina Hurricanes are going to get the immediate burst of energy and accompanying success that often follows a coaching change. They're not good enough even for that.

Kirk Muller remained relentlessly upbeat even in the face of Thursday's 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers, his second since taking over for Paul Maurice on Monday. It was a remarkable feat considering the amount of work that clearly lies ahead for the new coach.

With the score tied 2-2, a pair of basic defensive breakdowns less than two minutes apart in the second period led to a pair of Rangers goals - a scenario that has been all too familiar this season. If anyone wished for a quick fix, that merely swapping out one coach for a more enthusiastic model would turn things around, those hopes have been quickly dismissed.

Which isn't to absolve Maurice of any blame for where the Hurricanes are right now; clearly, change was needed. But it does underline just how much weak this team is no matter who's coaching it, and despite Eric Staal recording four points in the past three games.

"We've only just had the one practice," Muller said. "It's got to take a little time. They're trying. There's a couple little situations where there was a little confusion, and then there's the other part, where you just can't get beat one-on-one."

It isn't just Muller who has work to do. Bringing him in was the first step in a long-term process, which is why he's under contract through 2015. While Muller does the best he can with the players he has, general manager Jim Rutherford needs to get Muller some new ones.

Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman, in an interview with Sports Illustrated's website, offered a scathing assessment of Carolina's roster: "They've got Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner. Tuomo Ruutu's OK.

But they don't have any other forwards. Their defense corps, he keeps getting recycled guys. How can you keep winning with recycled players?" At least he liked Cam Ward.

Over the past few days, there was growing hope the roster might change dramatically, as the Anaheim Ducks not-so-quietly (but slightly

inexplicably) made it clear that power forward Bobby Ryan, a 30-goal scorer in each of the last three seasons, was available in a desperate move to shake-up their team with a blockbuster deal.

Whether the Canes even had the assets to stay in the bidding was uncertain, but their interest was not. Ryan would have been an ideal fit on Staal's wing, one Staal has lacked his entire career. Alas, the Ducks decided to fire coach Randy Carlyle instead, replacing him with former Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau, who spent all of 65 hours without a job.

Still, there were scouts from 10 teams in attendance at the RBC Center on Thursday, and a similar number in Charlotte on Wednesday to watch Carolina's prospects play for the Checkers. It's the shopping season in the NHL, with struggling teams looking to upgrade their rosters while those dealing from a position of strength circle like vultures.

Other than the coaching change, Rutherford's moves so far have been modest, claiming Andreas Nodl from the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday and adding Muller's former teammate John MacLean, the former New Jersey Devils coach, as an assistant Thursday.

Bigger changes are coming. They have to be. What's here now isn't working, no matter who the coach is. Muller's enthusiasm hasn't shaken anything loose yet. Replacing Maurice with Muller was the first step, and in the right direction, but Rutherford can't stop now.



Rangers' Staal back on the ice

CHIP ALEXANDER

RALEIGH -- Marc Staal did some lighting skating Thursday at the RBC Center. It wasn't a lot, but it was a good thing.

The New York Rangers defenseman has not played this season because of post-concussion symptoms. Staal was injured after a big collision with brother Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes in a Feb. 22 game at the RBC Center, but did return to play later in the season and in the playoffs.

Marc, cleared for light physical activity two weeks ago, said he has improved and is confident he'll be back in the lineup at some point this season. There is no set timetable for his return, he said.

"It's gotten a lot better," he said. "I think with my improvement the last month or so, I feel I'll be back. That's the plan. Just make sure I'm healthy, get back and start playing."

Marc, in his most extensive comments since Sept. 20, said he does not second-guess coming back last season after suffering the concussion.

"I sugarcoated a lot of things and told myself I was fine, and I did feel good," he said. "I wasn't 100 percent but at that point it was my decision to get going.

"I don't know if I'd be in the same situation now. It's hard to tell. It's all looking back. But it's been a long journey since."

Eric slammed into his brother along the boards, hitting Marc in the shoulder and head. Marc Staal began experiencing headaches and other symptoms during offseason workouts. He has had acupuncture treatments and seen various specialists.

Asked if there was any resentment toward Eric, Marc said, "No, not at all. I put it behind me maybe the day after it happened. Not right away. I was pretty upset.

"It was tough because it was my brother and it's a whole different situation when that happens and you get hurt like that and get injured. But we play hard against each other. That's just the way we play."

Marc, 24, said he has been just as physical in competing against brother Jordan Staal of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"We understand that's the game," he said. "It's been tough but we've been fine."

Staal said coming back to the RBC Center for the first time since the injury had no real significance.

"It just kind of worked out that way," he said. "I skated a few times on my own in New York and things went really well so we decided to continue it here."


597979 Chicago Blackhawks

Wolves lose 3-2 in shootout

Paul LaTour

The Wolves' shootout woes aren't too difficult to figure out. They aren't scoring enough goals and they are giving up too many.

Despite an early two-goal lead, the Wolves fell 3-2 to Abbotsford in a shootout Friday night before a crowd of 3,614 at Allstate Arena. The Wolves, who were outscored 2-1 in the shootout, fell to 0-3 on the season in shootouts. They have been outscored 8-3 in them.

"Sometimes in shootouts you over-analyze things," said Mark Mancari, who scored the Wolves' lone shootout goal. "You do what's working for you in practice, but it's not the same goalie."

The Wolves grabbed a 2-0 lead after the first period on goals by Tim Miller and Kevin Connauton (power play).

Miller started it at 4 minutes, 7 seconds with his fourth goal of the season. He slipped the puck between the right post and the left leg of Leland Irving. Victor Oreskovich and Yann Sauve assisted. Oreskovich played for the first time since Oct. 28 after missing 10 games with an undisclosed injury.

Connauton scored his seventh goal of the season, tying him for the AHL lead in goals by defensemen, and also with Darren Haydar for team-high honors. Connauton knocked a rebound in from the right side after Irving stopped a Mark Mancari shot from the left.

But the Heat turned the tables in the second, tying it with a two-goal period of its own. Bob Walter scored only 25 seconds in and Brendan Mikkelson tied it with a power-play goal at 10:45. The Wolves had killed all 22 previous power plays at home.

The third period and overtime belonged to the Wolves, but that still didn't prevent another shootout loss. All three of them have come in 3-2 games.

"The shootout is not our friend right now," coach Craig MacTavish. "It kills your mood. It really has a way of zapping your energy going into the next game."

Lack finished with 30 saves, while Irving had 28.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 12.03.2011


Smith back in lineup

Chris Kuc

In the lineup or out, rookie Ben Smith is using his stint with the Blackhawks as a learning experience.

The forward, who was recalled from Rockford of the American Hockey League on Nov. 17, had been a healthy scratch for four consecutive games until coach Joel Quenneville gave him a start Friday night against the Islanders at the United Center. He replaced struggling winger Bryan Bickell, who didn't score a point during the month of November.

"It's not an easy transition coming up from the American League," said Smith, who scored his first goal of the season during the second period. "I want to play and I want to play well and contribute. It's all about patience and working hard every day."

Smith, who had no points and was a minus-3 in two contests after he came up before sitting out, has used the opportunity of practicing with the Hawks to improve his game.

"These guys are so good. Just to be here and play with them I'm definitely learning and improving every day," Smith said.

A concussion suffered during training camp cost Smith a chance to earn a roster spot to start the season but it appears he has a chance to secure a place in the lineup.

"Certainly we'd like to be playing (Smith)," Quenneville said. "He had a couple of tough ones (against the Flames and Oilers), but he's versatile, gives us some quickness and intelligence."

He said it: Team President John McDonough, who is on crutches following knee surgery after falling during a family function last month, spoke at the opening of DiGiorno Pizzeria at the United Center on Friday and later said, "This is hockey. You have to fight through it and play through injuries and I'll be back. It's a lower-body injury."

One-timer: The Hawks acquired a conditional seventh round draft pick in the 2013 NHL entry draft from the Senators in exchange for Rob Klinkhammer, who had two goals and four assists in 18 games this season with Rockford of the American Hockey League. The forward is expected to be assigned to Ottawa's AHL affiliate in Binghamton.



Saturday's matchup: Blackhawks at Blues

Staff Writer

TV/radio: 7 p.m. Saturday; WGN-ch. 9, WGN-AM 720.

Series: Blues lead 1-0.

Last meeting: Blues won 3-0 on Nov. 18 in St. Louis.

Probable goaltenders: Hawks, Ray Emery, 3-1-1, 3.52 goals-against average; Blues, Brian Elliott 10-1-0, 1.31.

Team comparison

Averages per game (NHL rank)

HAWKS (14-8-3) CATEGORY BLUES(14-8-2)

3.12 (4) Goals for 2.46 (21)

3.04 (21) Goals against 2.00 (1)

16.8 (17) Power-play pct. 8.8 (30)

74.7 (30) Penalty-kill pct. 81.0 (22)

Statistics through Thursday.

Storyline: Hawks are 7-6-1 away from home. Blues should be bolstered by the season debut of forward David Perron, who has been sidelined for nearly 13 months (97 games) with a concussion.



Hawks win 5-4 in shootout

Chris Kuc

Leave it to a sage veteran for an adept summary of the Blackhawks' effort against the Islanders on Friday night.

"The win was nice, but it's not the kind of hockey we want to play," defenseman Sean O'Donnell, currently in his 17th NHL season, explained after the Hawks pulled out a 5-4 shootout victory against an Islanders team that hit town with the fewest number of goals in the league before turning the United Center into a shooting gallery.

Jonathan Toews continued his masterful play with a goal and an assist in regulation and the only score in the shootout to lead the Hawks to their third victory in four games. They avoided a loss to a team that has won twice in 10 road games.

"We're too loose in our own end," O'Donnell said. "(Goaltender Corey) Crawford came up with some great saves. It's nice to get the two points but we need to play a lot better going into St. Louis (on Saturday night)."

The Hawks were looking good with a 3-2 lead entering the third period before they allowed the Islanders, who had 43 goals in their first 22 games, to take control and nearly steal a victory. The Islanders outshot the Hawks 23-7 in the third but Crawford allowed only one to get past him in the period and then stonewalled the Islanders in the shootout.

"That's obviously not what we were looking for, especially with a lead going into the third," said rookie forward Ben Smith, who scored his first goal of the season to tie the score at 2-2 early in the second. "We were fortunate to come away with the win."

Andrew Brunette and Patrick Sharp also had goals in regulation against Islanders goalie Al Montoya, a Glenview native making his first appearance against his hometown team.

The Islanders got a goal and an assist each from Matt Moulson and PA Parenteau and scores from Kyle Okposo and Nino Niederreiter, but it wasn't enough.

"There was a lot of scoring, but at the same time we had to work hard for our chances," said Toews, who has four goals and four assists in his last four games. "Early in the game we had a lot of chances that we just couldn't quite find a way to put in.

"(There were) just a couple little mistakes that we have to get after, and learn from, especially late in that game where we're protecting a lead. If we do that, we'll be a little more relaxed, a little more comfortable in the third period trying to go for two points."

The Hawks (15-8-3) have allowed 29 goals in their last seven games, a trend that is becoming a concern.

"We have to be more composed, especially with the game on the line," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "We have to tighten up, be predictable and trust that we can play our own positions."



Hawks get draft pick for Klinkhammer

Staff Writer

The Blackhawks got a conditional seventh round draft pick from the Ottawa Senators in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for 25-year-old forward Rob Klinkhammer.

In his 18 games this season with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs, Klinkhammer has six points (two goals and four assists). He made his NHL debut on Dec. 8, 2010 with the Hawks in a game against the Stars at the United Center.

Klinkhammer will join the Senators' AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators.



Blackhawks will take points despite ugly win over Islanders

Adam L. Jahns

It was ugly by every sense of the word.

But it’s still two points and the Blackhawks — who need some positives to look at — will take them regardless of how tough the lowly New York Islanders were to overcome.

Jonathan Toews scored in the shootout, while Frans Nielsen, Nino Niederreiter and Matt Moulson weren’t able to beat Corey Crawford as Hawks pulled out a back-and-forth 5-4 victory at the United Center on Friday.

“It was definitely a tighter, more hard-fought game than we’re used to playing against that team,” Toews said. “There was a lot of scoring, but at the same time we had to work hard for our chances.”

Toews had another strong game, scoring a short-handed goal and recording an assist to lead the Hawks. Andrew Brunette, Ben Smith and Patrick Sharp (power play) also scored. Crawford made 37 saves.

Goalie Al Montoya, a Glenview native and former Loyola Academy student, nearly got the victory in his Chicago debut with a solid game, making 32 saves for the Islanders.

“Early in the game we had a lot of chances that we just couldn’t quite find a way to put in there,” Toews said. “Their goaltender played well and they played well defensively.”

Still, it was one the Hawks should have won. The Islanders have just seven wins — including a league-low two on the road — and are living at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They also entered Friday’s game as the worst offensive team in the league, averaging 1.96 goals.

But the Hawks have been defensively challenged — the forwards, defensemen, penalty kill, everybody — as of late. That trend continued.

“It’s nice to get the two points, but I still think we’re too loose in our own end,” said defenseman Sean O’Donnell, who set up Brunette’s goal in the first period with a nice pass. “It just doesn’t seem we’re as tight as we need to be.”

The Hawks’ penalty kill, which is ranked 30th in the league, was shoddy again. Kyle Okposo put in a rebound into a wide-open net to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead 4:07 into the first, and PA Parenteau had a game-tying score during Steve Montador’s four-minute high-sticking penalty 46 seconds into the third.

The goal by Parenteau was a momentum-stealer. The Hawks shut down the Islanders in the second, holding them to two shots as Smith and Toews scored.

In the third?

The Islanders outshot the Hawks 23-7. After Sharp restored the Hawks’ one-goal lead on the power play, Niederreiter tied it again for the Islanders after a turnover and bad change by the Hawks, which saw Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook collide.

“We’ve got to be more composed, especially with the game on the line,” coach Joel Quenneville said.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 12.03.2011


Blackhawks’ Ben Smith scores when he gets a chance to play

Adam L. Jahns

The longer Ben Smith sat, the more curious it -became. Why was the rookie with the Blackhawks when he’s not playing and could be developing in Rockford?

It turns out coach Joel Quenneville would “like to be playing [Smith],” and he put him in against the New York Islanders after making him a healthy scratch in four consecutive games.

“Getting him back in here, we’d like to get him back up to that pace and get him comfortable in our team game and his own game,” Quenneville said. “He’s useful. Let’s get him in there. We don’t want him to sit out.”

Smith looked up to speed, lifting in his first goal of the season in the second period. Bryan Bickell joined John Scott and Sami Lepisto as healthy scratches Friday.

It was a much better game than Smith’s first two. After being called up in place of Rostislav Olesz, Smith was a combined minus-3 in bad losses to the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames on the circus trip.

“Those are tough games to really measure anybody’s performance,” Quenneville said. “They were two really off games by us, and he was in the middle of it.”

Smith was a playoff hero last year against the Canucks, but a concussion this preseason derailed his momentum. He then blossomed in Rockford. Despite sitting out, Smith said he was able to learn.

“I’ve just been patient and waiting for my chance to get in there,” said Smith, who played 9:21, primarily with Dave Bolland.

Bolland concerns

Bolland continues to miss practices and morning skates, but he played in his eighth consecutive game. Quenneville said his absence at practice is a different “ailment” than the foot injury that cost him three games in November.

“I don’t think they are related at all, but I don’t think the ailment — it’s not changing much,” Quenneville said. “That’s what we’re dealing with, and he’s handling it OK.”

Minor move

The Hawks traded minor-leaguer Rob Klinkhammer to the Ottawa Senators for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2013 draft. Klinkhammer, 25, had six points in 18 games this season for the IceHogs.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 12.03.2011


Blackhawks beat Islanders, but issues persist

Tim Sassone

They don't award points for style in the NHL, which was good news for the Blackhawks on Friday night.

The Hawks picked up 2 points in the standings the hard way, with an ugly 5-4 win over the New York Islanders in a shootout.

Related articles

Local kid Montoya finally makes it to United Center Toews scores SO goal, lifts Blackhawks over Islanders

Jonathan Toews scored the only goal in the shootout after the Hawks survived a third period where they were outshot 23-7 by the league's worst offensive team.

The Hawks remain in a team funk defensively, from goalie Corey Crawford on out.

“I still think we're too loose in our own end,” said Hawks defenseman Sean O'Donnell. “It just doesn't seem like we're as tight as we need to me. We gave up too many chances and Corey came up with some great saves tonight.

“It's nice to get the 2 points, but we need to get back and be a lot better, especially going into St. Louis (Saturday) night.”

The Hawks keep talking about how they need to be better defensively, but it's not happening. They've now allowed 80 goals. Only Columbus has surrendered more in the Western Conference.

Coach Joel Quenneville admitted the third period was like watching a fire drill with all the running around the Hawks did.

“I thought defensively was perfect going into the third period,” Quenneville said. “We gave up a small amount of shots (15) and a very limited number of chances, but everything exploded in the third. We've got to be more composed, particularly when the games are on the line in our own end. Our defensive zone coverage got way out of sorts. We really ran around there in the third.”

Crawford had the kind of hot-and-cold night that has defined his season to this point. He allowed a few goals he would love to have back, but he made some big stops when the game was on the line.

“It felt good just to get 2 points and get a win,” Crawford said. “It's frustrating when you give up a lead, but fortunately we have enough firepower.”

Quenneville thought Crawford was the difference in the game in the third period even though the Islanders scored twice to wipe away a 3-2 deficit.

“Huge saves in the third,” Quenneville said. “He got tested and challenged in the third. The chances probably tripled what they had in the first two.”

Patrick Sharp's power-play goal at 5:08 of the third period gave the Hawks a 4-3 lead, but Nino Niederreiter tied it with 11:05 to play. Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith got tangled, allowing Niederreiter a path to the net, but that came after Ben Smith turned the puck over in the neutral zone.

“I wouldn't blame the defense so much as our forwards were contributing as well,” Quenneville said about what happened in the third period.

Crawford made 2 saves in the shootout then forced Matt Moulson wide enough where he could only hit the post.

Toews had a goal and assist in regulation in addition to his shootout winner. His goal in the second period was short-handed and snapped a 2-2 tie.

“We found a way to win and get 2 points, but we've got to be better than this,” Toews said.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 12.03.2011


Local kid Montoya finally makes it to United Center

Tim Sassone

Islanders goalie and Glenview native Al Montoya considered it a dream come true to start against the Blackhawks in the United Center on Friday night.

“This is awesome,” Montoya said before the game. “This is something I’ve been waiting for since I was a kid. It’s definitely something special to be a part of.

“I had to do about 25 tickets on my own and then I’ve got other friends who went out and purchased their own tickets, so I’ve got a pretty good number (of people coming). No scalpers. They’re legit.”

Some might question why it took Montoya so long to get to the United Center considering he was the sixth pick overall in the 2004 draft by the New York Rangers.

Montoya spent parts of the last seven seasons in the minors working his way up.

“Definitely thankful for (that time developing),” Montoya said. “Everything happens for a reason and I’m a true believer of that. (I paid) the price, and my goal was always when I got here to stay here.”

Playing through it:

Missing practices but playing in the games is likely to continue for Dave Bolland.

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said the problem is not the foot injury that recently sidelined Bolland.

“I don’t think they are related at all, but at the same time I don’t think the ailment, it’s not changing much,” Quenneville said. “I think he’s handling it OK. That’s what we’re dealing with right now.”

Whenever Bolland is sidelined from time to time there is fear it’s his surgically repaired back acting up.

Making an impression:

Add Jonathan Toews to the list of those impressed by the recent play of rookie center Marcus Kruger.

“He’s gaining more confidence by the day,” Toews said. “He’s been good on the power play and I think that’s one of those things that shows confidence. It’s easier maybe to go out there 5-on-5 and make things happen, but when you go out on the power play there’s pressure to make the smart plays and he’s shown he can do all that.”

Second time around:

The Blues were 8-1-2 under new coach Ken Hitchcock going into Friday’s game at Colorado.

The Hawks face the Blues for the second time under Hitchcock, who warned his team needed to be ready for teams such as Chicago and Detroit the second time around.

“We’re going to get a push,” Hitchcock told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “You can surprise a team, but we’re now playing a second wave. When we start playing the Chicagos and Detroits again, now we’ll have a look. They’ll be ready for us. They won’t be surprised by our game.”

Tip-ins:

The Hawks traded minor league left wing Rob Klinkhammer to Ottawa on Friday for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2013. ... Ben Smith replaced the slumping Bryan Bickell in Friday’s lineup. ... John Scott and Sami Lepisto also were scratched.



Toews scores SO goal, lifts Blackhawks over Islanders

Staff Writer

Jonathan Toews netted the only goal in the shootout, after posting a short-handed goal and assist in regulation, and the Chicago Blackhawks outlasted the New York Islanders 5-4 on Friday night.

Corey Crawford stopped New York’s Frans Nielsen and Nino Niederreiter in the shootout. Matt Moulson, the final Islanders shooter, hit the post to end the game.

Related articles

Blackhawks beat Islanders, but issues persist

Andrew Brunette, rookie Ben Smith and Patrick Sharp also scored for the Blackhawks, who overcame a sluggish start and defensive breakdowns.

Niederreiter, a 19-year-old rookie, scored his first goal of the season midway through the third period to tie the game at 4. His low, 35-foot shot from the slot beat Crawford on the stick side for his second NHL goal.



Blackhawks survive see-saw affair in shootout

Tracey Myers

The Blackhawks’ defensive game still isn’t where it needs to be; but sometimes you take the two points and go from there.

Jonathan Toews scored a short-handed goal in regulation, then added the shootout winner in the Blackhawks’ 5-4 decision over the New York Islanders at the United Center. The Blackhawks have now won three of their last four games and are tied with Detroit for the second-most points in the Western Conference (33).

But it got interesting in the third period, when a determined Islanders team outshot the Blackhawks 23-7. The Blackhawks had given up just 15 shots in the previous two periods.

“The first 10 minutes we took it to them; then that third period we got away from it again. It’s something we need to address,” said defenseman Sean O’Donnell, who assisted on Andrew Brunette’s goal in the first period. “The win was nice, but it’s not the kind of hockey we want to play.”

Coach Joel Quenneville said the better defense was there in the first two periods but panic seemed to set in during that third.

“We have to be more composed, particularly when the game’s on the line in our own end,” he said. “The D-zone coverage got way out of sorts. We need to tighten it up and trust we have to play our own positions. We really ran around there in the third. We didn’t like the way we played in our own end for sure.”

The Blackhawks got enough offense on the other side to force shootout. Ben Smith scored his first of the season and Patrick Sharp added a power-play goal in the third. Toews, who has been stellar this past month, bested Islanders goaltender and Chicago-area native Al Montoya with a wrister in the shootout.

Corey Crawford, who stopped 37 of 41 in regulation -- including 21 of 23 in the third period – stopped two of the Islanders’ shootout attempts. Matt Moulson hit the post on his shot.

No, it wasn’t a comfortable victory. The Blackhawks are still giving up a lot of offense to teams that usually don’t score much. The Islanders are currently ranked last in the league in goals per game with 2.04, and that’s including tonight’s game.

They found a way to win on Friday. But they know defensive problems still exist. The more they tighten things up, the less they’ll be sweating these out.

“(There were) just a couple little mistakes that we have to get after and learn from, especially late in that game where we’re protecting a lead. If we do that, we’ll be a little more relaxed, a little more comfortable in the third period trying to go for two points,” Toews said. “Either way, we found a way to win, and get two points. We just have to be better in those certain areas.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.03.2011


Blackhawks' Kruger takes center stage

Tracey Myers

Marcus Kruger has made a quick ascension through the Blackhawks ranks and will play second-line center tonight. And Patrick Kane, whose place he’ll be taking, said Kruger will do just fine there.

Kane, who’s back at right wing on the top line tonight, played with Kruger a few games last season and liked what how the young Swede played.

“He’s an easy forward to play with,” Kane said. “He kind of lets the other guys handle the puck and tries to do all the work for them. At the same time he’s skilled enough where he can make plays, make saucer passes and little passes around defensemen that can get you in good position. I played with him a couple games and I like him a lot. He’ll be good for those two guys (Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa).”

Kane said he hasn’t talked to Kruger specifically about taking over at No. 2 center but they have chatted about Kruger’s quick rise through the ranks.

“He’s pretty happy to be up here,” Kane said. “It’s good to see a player that young and that motivated to keep doing well and keep getting better. He’s been good on the power play, makes good plays and puts his linemates in good position to score goals. So I’m happy for him.”

Jamal Mayers, who played with Kruger earlier this season, also thinks he’ll be fine.

“He’s a very smart player,” Mayers said. “At the beginning of the year, playing with him you felt he was just scratching the surface and his game would come. He’s getting rewarded for that. I think he’ll do great.”



Smith returns to Blackhawks lineup

Tracey Myers

Ben Smith has been practicing and learning while waiting for his chance to get back into the Blackhawks’ lineup.

He’ll get his opportunity tonight.

Smith will play tonight when the Blackhawks host the New York Islanders at the United Center. Smith has been a healthy scratch since playing in both Calgary and Edmonton on the team’s circus trip. It’s not clear who will come out in favor of Smith, but coach Joel Quenneville said it’s time to get the young forward back into the lineup.

"Certainly we like to be playing him," Quenneville said. "He had a couple tough ones (in Canada) but he’s versatile, gives us some quickness and intelligence. He got going in Rockford and it looks like getting him back in here we’d like to get him up to that pace, get him comfortable in our team game and in his own game. We think he’s useful, so let’s get him in there."

For Smith, it’s another chance to make an impact. He did it last postseason against Vancouver. He wasn’t nearly as noticeable against Calgary and Edmonton last month; then again there weren’t many great performances from any Blackhawks out of those two.

Smith just wants to get the same type of performances he had in Rockford earlier this season.

“It’s not an easy transition from the American League, but that’s no excuse, obviously. I just want to play and play well and contribute,” Smith said. “It’s all about patience and working hard every day. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Brent Seabrook and Steve Montador skated with the Blackhawks this morning while Dave Bolland did not. Quenneville said yesterday that all three were expected to play tonight.


597992 Colorado Avalanche

Varlamov has key save in shootout victory

Adrian Dater

Let there be no doubt Semyon Varlamov has some flexibility.

The Avalanche goalie did the splits while making a great toe save on St. Louis Blues forward T.J. Oshie in the shootout Friday night as part of the Avs' 3-2 victory.

Varlamov made several other acrobatic saves, part of his 35-stop, perfect-in-the-shootout performance. After a rough patch last month in which he allowed six regulation goals each in losses to Dallas and Pittsburgh, Varlamov has been strong, easing worries of Avs fans following a trade that saw the team part with first- and second-round picks to get him.

In his last five starts, Varlamov is 3-2, with a 1.78 goals-against average and .940 save percentage. He has allowed two goals or fewer in each of his last five starts. He is 4-0 in shootouts with the Avs, who are 15-1 in shootouts dating to December 2009.

"It's all about the team. Guys are helping me out every game," Varlamov said. "I feel good about how my team played, not about myself."

Of the save on Oshie, which kept the shootout scoreless after two rounds, Varlamov said: "Nothing special. I just tried to stay on my legs at the last moment when he went backhand."

Stewart, Shattenkirk return.

Former Avs Kevin Shattenkirk and Chris Stewart had good returns in their first game in Denver since being traded to St. Louis last season. Shattenkirk scored a power-play goal, and Stewart had an assist.

Footnotes.

Avs defenseman Erik Johnson (groin) could return Sunday. . . . The Avs have won five straight at home over St. Louis.

Denver Post: LOADED: 12.03.2011


Ryan O'Reilly's shootout goal lifts Avs over Blues

Adrian Dater

Ryan O'Reilly's nickname is "The Factor." You might say he was one in the Avalanche's 3-2 shootout victory over St. Louis on Friday night.

In a tremendous, inspiring performance, O'Reilly led his team back from a third-period deficit against a Blues team that came into the contest 11-0 when leading after two periods. O'Reilly scored the tying goal, nearly won it at the end of regulation and overtime with other goals, then scored the only goal of the shootout as Colorado prevailed in front of — get this — a fired-up, loud crowd at the Pepsi Center.

How's this for a stat line on the night: for O'Reilly, he had a goal, assist, shootout winner, five shots overall and a 57 percent proficiency on faceoffs.

The win got the Avs back to within a game of .500, put them 4-3-0 on their eight-game homestand and marked the first time they've won two in a row since Oct. 15-17 (at Montreal and Toronto).

"It's the first time we've done that in a long time. It feels good," said O'Reilly, whose 19 points leads the team in scoring.

The Avs and Blues were scoreless through the first two rounds of the shootout when O'Reilly stood at center ice for the Avs' third chance. Against Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak, O'Reilly roofed a backhander past him, then watched at Avs goalie Semyon Varlamov — the other main player in the win — easily stopped Blues veteran Jamie Langenbrunner to end it.

"I haven't (done) that probably since junior," O'Reilly said. "I was just feeling it. It looked like he was going down in front of the net, so I just tried him there backhand."

O'Reilly tied the game 2-2 at 9:34 of the third, beating Halak upstairs on a wrister off the rush. To that point, the Blues were mostly outplaying the Avs, using their bigger size up front and trapping defense to limit them. But once O'Reilly scored, it got the whole team skating, and there was no doubt which team was better from there.

"Right from the first drop of the puck, (O'Reilly) and his line really did a nice job for us tonight," Avs coach Joe Sacco said. "They really took a lot of initiative on themselves. He's been doing this for a while now. The kid is showing signs of really emerging as one of the top players."

O'Reilly nearly won the game at the buzzer of regulation, but his shot was stopped at the goal line by Halak. O'Reilly nearly won the game in overtime too, when he was instrumental in getting the puck to the goal line again with 17 seconds left. Referees initially called the goal — which would have been credited to Ryan O'Byrne — good. But replays showed Halak got the puck before it crossed the line.

"He was just great for us tonight," said Avs captain Milan Hejduk, who scored Colorado's other regulation goal. "We played a real good last period as a team, I thought, but he got us going for sure."

Said O'Reilly: "It was nice I got the opportunity to get more of an offensive role. Coaching staff let me have that role, and I got some bounces, which is nice."

Avs Recap

The Post's three stars

1. Ryan O'Reilly.

Scored a goal, added assist and got only shootout goal in superb game.

2. Semyon Varlamov.

Avs goalie stopped 35 shots, and all three in the shootout.

3. Kevin Shattenkirk.

Former Av scored a goal.

What you might have missed

The Avs are now 15-1 in their last 16 shootouts.

Up next

Detroit, Sunday at 6 p.m.

Denver Post: LOADED: 12.03.2011


Avs hold off Blues in shootout

Staff Writer

DENVER • For the second time in two games, Ryan O'Reilly was the difference for Colorado.

None of which has been a surprise to the Avalanche, who have watched him blossom in his third year in the NHL.

"He's been doing this for a while now. He's been playing very well," Colorado coach Joe Sacco said. "The kid's been showing signs of emerging as one of the top players."

The team's leading scorer, O'Reilly got the tying goal and then converted in the shootout to lift Colorado to a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Friday night.

O'Reilly also had a goal and two assists Wednesday against New Jersey.

"Right from the drop of the puck tonight, I saw him along with his line really do a nice job for us," Sacco said.

O'Reilly, who also had an assist, lifted a backhander over the shoulder of Jaroslav Halak for the only goal in the tiebreaker. Milan Hejduk, who netted his ninth goal of the season in regulation, and Matt Duchene had already been stopped by St. Louis goalie Jaroslav Halak.

Semyon Varlamov, who stopped 35 of 37 shots through overtime, then denied Alexander Steen, T.J. Oshie and Jamie Langenbrunner to give Colorado a 4-0 mark this season in shootouts.

"He stood on his head like every game," O'Reilly said of Varlamov, who is 3-2 in his last five starts. "He is a huge reason why we win."

Kevin Shattenkirk and Patrick Berglund had goals, and Halak made 35 saves for the Blues, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. St. Louis is 7-1-3 under coach Ken Hitchcock since he replaced Davis Payne on Nov. 6.

"A shootout is a shootout," Hitchcock said. "We didn't extend the lead and it came back to haunt us."

With Colorado trailing 2-1, O'Reilly tied it at 9:34 of the third period with a wrist shot that beat Halak through a screen.

"It feels good to get the win, but I thought we'd have it in OT," O'Reilly said. "Unfortunately, it took a shootout to do it. We played well, we found a way to win."

The Avalanche nearly won it with 10 seconds left in overtime, but Halak reached back at the last moment to keep Ryan O'Byrne's shot from crossing the goal line.

"I was 100 percent sure that it didn't go in," Halak said. "They were celebrating, but they were celebrating too soon."

The Blues struck first, taking advantage of a hooking penalty on Paul Stastny when Shattenkirk scored his third of the season 8:55 in. Jason Arnott found Shattenkirk alone above the right circle, and he flipped a wrister through a screen that Varlamov never saw.

Colorado tied it at 13:55 when Hejduk sent a shot past Halak. O'Reilly set up the play from behind the net.

Stefan Elliott of the Avalanche hit the right post, but on the change of possession Berglund scored with a backhander off a pass from Stewart at 5:39. Stewart drew the defense to him, leaving Berglund more space in the slot to maneuver and get off a shot.

Colorado won back-to-back home games for the first time this season.

NOTES: G Brian Elliott (10-1-0) is expected to start Saturday when the Blues host Chicago. ... The Blues are 0-3 in shootouts. ... Shattenkirk's goal ended Colorado's string of 14 straight penalties killed over four games. ... Colorado was 0 for 4 on the power play. ... The Avalanche have won five straight home games against the Blues.

Colorado Springs Gazette: LOADED: 12.03.2011

597995 Columbus Blue Jackets

Oilers 6, Blue Jackets 3: Jackets buried by Oilers’ 3rd-period run

By Aaron Portzline

The Columbus Dispatch Saturday December 3, 2011 5:47 AM

EDMONTON, Alberta — As Blue Jackets coach Scott Arniel prepared to face Edmonton last night, he didn’t shy away from comparing that team with the high-flying Oilers that dominated the NHL in the 1980s.

“Really,” Arniel said, “these guys are not that different.”

A few hours later, Arniel proved prophetic, but it wasn’t the precocious kids who fueled the Oilers to a blowout victory. It was the wily veterans and grinders. The Oilers scored five third-period goals and won 6-3 in front of 16,839 in Rexall Place.

“They were jumping hard and pushing us hard in the third,” Blue Jackets right wing Derek Dorsett said. “They kept coming and kept coming.”

Oilers forward Ryan Jones, who had never scored more than one goal in a game, got his first career hat trick, all in the third period.

Eleven Edmonton players had at least one point.

Blue Jackets winger Kristian Huselius (torn pectoral) made his season debut, and Arniel jumbled his forwards to get three scoring lines. But the Jackets faded late.

“We looked like a team that was playing three games in four nights,” Arniel said. “You could tell by the way our legs weren’t going and how we were early in the game. It led to mistake after mistake.”

Dorsett had two goals for the Blue Jackets. It was his first two-goal game in the NHL, and it included his first short-handed goal. It put the Jackets ahead 2-1 at 10:16 of the second period, and that’s how it remained until the third.

The Blue Jackets peppered Edmonton goaltender Devan Dubnyk with 39 shots — 21 of them in the first period — but he was just good enough.Three of the Oilers’ third-period goals were scored in a span of 6:25 early in the third.

Only 1:41 into the third, Jones gathered the puck below the goal line.

He lost it off his blade as he tried a wraparound shot, and it glanced off the skate of Jackets defenseman Grant Clitsome before beating goaltender Curtis Sanford.

“They came out flying,” Sanford said. “It was kind of unfortunate that little wraparound play went in off of our skate and in between my legs. Tough break, but it’s still a stop I have to make to keep the team ahead. They seemed to get some jump off of that, and we couldn’t recapture the momentum.”

At 6:19, Ladislav Smid attempted a one-timer that Sanford never saw, thanks to a screen set by Jackets defenseman Marc Methot and Eberle, who tangled in the slot. At 8:06, Jones scored again on a one-timer from the left side of the slot. That made it 4-2.

Dorsett’s second goal, a putback of a rebound from the slot, pulled the Jackets to 4-3, but the Oilers’ two-goal lead was restored roughly five minutes later.

Noted Jackets killer Ales Hemsky scored with 4:03 remaining, and Jones finished his hat trick with an empty-netter in the final minute.

“They seemed like they upped the tempo in the third,” said Sanford, who stopped 28 of 33 shots.

“Maybe we did run out of gas, but we’re not going to use that as an excuse.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 12.03.2011

597996 Dallas Stars

Stars-Islanders preview: Could Dallas go goal-crazy on Saturday?

MIKE HEIKA

7 p.m. Saturday. TV: Ch. 21, Radio: KTCK-AM (1310)

Key matchup: Jamie Benn vs. John Tavares

The two third-year players are among the top four in scoring for players who started their careers in 2009. Tavares ranks third with 137 points (61 goals, 76 assists), while Benn ranks four with 120 (50 goals, 70 assists).

Key stat: 1.95

Goals per game for the Islanders — last in the league. They’re also last in goal differential at minus-1.14 per game.

Injuries

NY Islanders: G Evgeni Nabokov (groin), D Mark Eaton (knee) and RW Jay Pandolfo (foot) are out.

Dallas: G Kari Lehtonen (groin), D Trevor Daley (back), LW Brenden Morrow (upper body), D Alex Goligoski (thumb) and RW Adam Burish (hand) are out.

Notable

The Islanders lost Friday at Chicago, 5-4 in a shootout, and former Texas Tornado goalie Al Montoya was in net. That could mean the Stars will face Rick DiPietro on Saturday. … Dallas is coming off a 3-2 win Thursday against Ottawa and is 4-1-1 in its last six games. … Andrew Raycroft is expected to get his third consecutive start for the Stars. He is 3-4-4 against the Islanders with a 2.59 GAA and .896 save percentage. … Dallas has won four straight against the Islanders, meeting once in each of the last four seasons. Since 1996, Dallas is 13-4-1 against the Islanders.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 12.03.2011

597997 Dallas Stars

Shut up and play hockey appears to be working for Stars

MIKE HEIKA

First-year Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said a couple of weeks ago that he was not going to allow his players to act like "whiny babies,'' when complaining about officiating, and he vowed to change any negative perception officials might have of the team that was resulting in Dallas having one of the largest differences between power plays drawn and power plays against.

So far, that strategy seems to be working.

In the past five games, Dallas has drawn 15 penalties (still mediocre at only three a game), and have given up 12 (amazing when you consider this team was allowing five a game before this stretch).

"It's a big step for us,'' Gulutzan said. "We've talked about wanting to clean up not only the way we're perceived, but we want to make sure that we're playing a more disciplined game. And we're taking steps, if you look at over the last five games, to do that.''

In addition to keeping quiet, the Stars also are playing a better team game, and a better detailed game. in the past five contests, they are out-shooting the opposition, 32.0-31.4. Because they have the puck more, their ability to draw penalties has increased. The Stars actually won the special teams battle Thursday in a 3-2 win over Ottawa. Dallas drew three power plays and scored on one, while they had to kill just one power play against and did so successfully.

"Our guys have embraced it,'' Gulutzan said. "They're doing a real good job. Our leaders have done a fantastic job, and they deserve the credit for that. It's a part of our game that we want to get better at, like anything else. It was nice to be on the other end of that tonight."

Ironically, Ottawa coach Paul MacLean sounded a lot like Gulutzan did a couple of weeks ago.

"It's hard for us,'' MacLean said. "We get one opportunity and we can't seem to draw penalties. We have to do something better than we're doing and stop taking penalties. We took three penalties at their blue line or deeper in the rink. That makes it hard when you're taking penalties in their end."


597998 Dallas Stars

Two Stars prospects earn separate Player of the Month honors

MIKE HEIKA

On Thursday, Stars prospect Reilly Smith was named the Player of the Month for November in the CCHA for his play at Miami (Ohio).

Smith had 7 goals and 2 assists in 9 games, as Miami went 6-0-2.

Defending Big D also has a nice interview with Reilly Smith.

On Friday, Austin Smith of Colgate was named the Player of the Month for November in the ECAC.

Austin Smith had 8 goals and 2 assists in 7 games, and is tied for the NCAA lead in goal-scoring with 15 goals in

Austin Smith is an interesting story because he was born and raised in Dallas.

In addition, Stars prospect Jamie Oleksiak was one of 41 players invited to Team Canada's World Junior selection camp.

And there's a very good chance Jack Campbell will again be the No. 1 goalie for Team USA at the World Juniors, and that defensemen Patrik Nemeth and John Klingberg will be selected to play for Team Sweden.

Hockey's Future does a great job of keeping up with the Stars' prospects.


597999 Dallas Stars

Raycroft 9-2-0 when given "better'' start opportunities

MIKE HEIKA

Andrew Raycroft knows his role as backup goalie. At age 31 and with 277 NHL appearance, Raycroft has pretty much seen it all. So he doesn't complain when most of his starts are on the second night of back-to-back game situations.

But when you think about how difficult that is, you start to realize what a daunting chore Raycroft faces.

"It really is one of the toughest jobs in hockey,'' said Stars goalie coach Mike Valley. "The obvious concern is that the team is not going to be as good in front of you, but there's also the fact that you usually don't get a normal morning skate, and you don't get to stay in the routine that a No. 1 goalie gets. It's just a different day, and yet it might be the only game you get in a two week span.''

Since signing with the Stars last season, Raycroft is 1-8-1 when playing on the second night of a back-to-back games. When he is starting in non back-to-back games, he is 9-2-0 with a 1.88 GAA and .941 save percentage.

With Kari Lehtonen out at least three weeks with a groin injury, Raycroft should get plenty of chances to start in "normal'' situations.

"I feel more and more comfortable," Raycroft said of playing the past two games. "Just with little details, like with the puck behind the net and reading plays, you just feel like you have a little more time the more you play, at least for me. It's nice."

Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said he would start Raycroft on Saturday and for the foreseeable future. Rookie backup Richard Bachman will probably get a start Dec. 15 or 16 when the Stars play back-to-back games at the Islanders and at the Devils.


598000 Dallas Stars

Stars await NHL realignment debate, desire a move out of Pacific Division

Staff Writer

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Dallas Stars introduced their new owner last week, and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman came for the occasion.

The boss wasn't going to get out of town without being grilled about the possibility of the Stars moving to a different division.

"This is only the third time since I landed an hour ago that I've been asked that question," Bettman said at the news conference for Tom Gaglardi's takeover of the team. "The first time I met Tom and talked to him about his acquisition of the Stars, that was one of the first questions he asked me as well."

Yes, realignment is quite the hot topic in the world of pro hockey.

The league's board of governors will tackle the issue Monday and Tuesday at their regularly scheduled meeting with the hope of producing a formal vote on a new plan. Any changes require a two-thirds majority approval, or at least 20 of the 30 teams.

The Stars are one of a handful of franchises pushing for a shuffle of the current setup. The impetus for this came earlier this year when the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg and became the Jets. That left a central Canadian club in a geographically awkward group with Washington, Carolina, Florida and Tampa Bay.

With an unbalanced schedule, teams currently play each division opponent six times per season and non-division teams in their conference four times apiece. That leaves only 18 collective games against the 15 teams in the other conference, preventing fans from seeing certain opponents and star players on an annual basis. That also puts teams such as the Stars, Minnesota Wild and Detroit Red Wings on several long road trips to the West Coast each season. For a perennial power such as Detroit, that also means tougher travel schedules for the playoffs.

Minnesota's first road game in the Central time zone this season isn't until Dec. 13 at Winnipeg. The Wild make three annual trips to Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary. The Stars do the same to each of the three California cities.

The Red Wings, as one of two Eastern time zone teams in the Western Conference, play 11 road games this season that start at 9 p.m. or later in Michigan — including three 10:30 p.m. faceoffs. Not too many kids are staying up for the start of those, let alone the finish.

So, as Bettman assured Gaglardi: "It's something we're working on."

One option is to reduce the number of divisions from six to four, with either seven or eight teams in each instead of the current five.

During an interview this summer on the team's flagship radio station KFAN, Wild owner Craig Leipold mentioned Winnipeg, St. Louis, Nashville, Dallas, Chicago and likely Columbus as the new Central Division members with Minnesota.

If that came together, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary could then form the Pacific Division with Colorado, San Jose, Anaheim, Los Angeles and Phoenix, assuming the Coyotes can make it financially and avoid another move.

Detroit could join Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington, Carolina, Florida and Tampa Bay in an Atlantic Division. Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Buffalo, Boston, New Jersey and the two New York teams would form the new Northeast Division.

The easiest tweak would be to keep the six-division format and move Winnipeg to the Central and Detroit to the Southeast, at least alleviating two of the time zone dilemmas. But that would leave some teams unsatisfied. There are a number of moves that would make geographical sense, maintain the current number of divisions and make certain clubs happy but anger others.

"It's not going to work out perfect for everybody," Poile said.

Stars president Jim Lites is well aware of that. He was on the NHL's board of governors from 1982-2007. The last time the league realigned was 1998, when Nashville entered as an expansion team and the six-division format was unveiled.

"It has always been a thorny issue. It doesn't matter what the situation or what the circumstances are," Lites said.

He added: "There's a window for change right now. … Everybody's going to give it a real good shot, I'm sure. People do want to do the right thing, so hopefully we can get it lined it up."


598001 Dallas Stars

Visit to New York stirs boyhood memories for Stars’ Nystrom

MIKE HEIKA

Growing up the son of a hockey legend was never a burden to Eric Nystrom.

“Are you kidding?” the Stars recent scoring sensation said of life with his dad, Bobby.

“I got to grow up around all of those great players and got to skate on the Coliseum’s ice, just me and him. We’d go early in the morning and have a thousand pucks out there, shooting puck after puck, playing keep away …

“It was pretty special.”

Bobby Nystrom is known as Mr. Islander, and growing up not far from the venerable Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum was a treat for young Eric. It also should spark a few memories when the New York Islanders come to town Saturday for a tilt with the Stars.

It will be only the fourth game against the Islanders for Eric, who has played all of his 306 NHL games with Western Conference teams.

“Yeah, it is special,” he said. “I mean that was my team.”

Bobby Nystrom was part of one of the great hockey dynasties of all time. His Islanders won four straight Stanley Cups from 1980-83, and he scored the overtime winner to cap the first victory — one of the most memorable moments in NHL history.

Eric was doused in that environment as a kid, even though he was only 3 when his dad retired. He grew up knowing Hall of Famers Bryan Trottier, Denis Potvin, Clark Gillies, Mike Bossy and Billy Smith. He also got to meet later heroes such as Pat Lafontaine, Pierre Turgeon, Ziggy Palffy and Ray Ferraro.

“They went to the conference finals when I was 10, and I was at every game,” Eric said. “I mean that is the perfect time for sports when you’re a kid, and it was perfect for me.”

Also perfect was the fact Bobby Nystrom did a lot of youth coaching at the time. Eric not only got the private lessons on the Coliseum ice, but had a pretty good mentor for practices.

“He never overstepped his boundaries,” Eric said. “He never forced me to play, he never pushed too hard. It really was so much fun. I’m just very lucky.”

Eric said he never had a problem with expectations from coaches, parents or teammates. While Brett Hull had a big shadow cast by the scoring ability of his famous dad, Eric said he always felt he had to live up to a reputation for hard work.

He displayed that talent throughout a four-year career at the University of Michigan and through five years in the Calgary Flames organization. The 10th overall pick in 2002, he is just now starting to show offensive prowess with nine goals in 20 games since joining the Stars in an October trade.

“I’ve been working so hard on my shooting, and now I’m getting a chance to use it,” he said. “That’s all it is.”

Just like flinging a thousand pucks at the empty nets with his old man.

Bob Nystrom still is a staple on Long Island, a resident for more than 30 years and a huge supporter of the Islanders. And, truth be told, the memories will be even thicker when the Stars visit Uniondale on Dec. 15. But seeing the old colors Saturday will be a great warm-up for that act.

“It’s a great uniform,” Eric said. “Every time I see it, it reminds me of home.”


598002 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings notes from win over Sabres

Staff Writer

Red Wings 4, Sabres 1

AT FIRST NIAGARA CENTER, BUFFALO, N.Y.

WHAT HAPPENED: Jimmy Howard made 27 saves to lead the Red Wings to their seventh straight win. It's the first time since March 2010 that the Wings have strung together seven in a row. Howard was steady throughout. In the second period, he robbed Jason Pominville, who was alone in the slot, then stopped Nathan Gerbe on a breakaway in the third.

FIRST PERIOD: The Wings took charge early as Jakub Kindl, Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula all scored. Kindl staked the Wings to a 1-0 lead at 8:50 when his wrist shot from the left point got past a partially screened Jhonas Enroth. It was Kindl's goal first of the season. Franzen made it 2-0 with a power-play goal with 6:22 left in the period, and Filppula pushed the lead to 3-0 1:03 later. Franzen has a team-leading 11 goals.

THIRD PERIOD: Neither team scored in the second period, and Jochen Hecht spoiled Howard's shutout bid with a goal with 6:13 remaining. Hecht converted a 2-on-1 break with Pominville with a shot from the left circle. Pavel Datsyuk put the game out of reach by scoring into an empty net with 1:17 left.

SABRES STOPPERS: Enroth, making his ninth straight start in place of No. 1 goalie Ryan Miller (Michigan State), made 32 saves for the Sabres, who lost their third of four. Miller was in uniform for the first time since sustaining a concussion nearly three weeks earlier, serving as Enroth's backup.

OUR THREE STARS: 1. Howard; 2. Datsyuk (one goal, one assist); 3. Brad Stuart (19 minutes, plus-two).

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 12.03.2011


Red Wings recall Chris Conner to help spark offense

Bob Matuszak

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Despite leading Grand Rapids in scoring, Chris Conner knows he wasn't called up to provide a big offensive boost. Instead, he's looking to give the Red Wings a little jolt.

"I want to bring some energy and speed," said Conner, who was recalled from the AHL Griffins to play in the 4-1 win at Buffalo Friday night. "They want me to come in and do anything I can to help the team win and be successful."

Coach Mike Babcock wants the 5-foot-8, 180-pound forward to provide quality minutes on the penalty-kill unit and use his persistence to cause some commotion in the offensive zone.

"It's a good opportunity for him," Babcock said Friday. "He played good in the exhibition, and we decided that he can help our tenacity, work ethic and speed. He's not a big man at all, but he plays big. He's hard on pucks, and I think he's going to be a help to us."

Conner, a Westland native and Michigan Tech alumnus, didn't figure in the scoring Friday but played 13:39 and had four shots on goal.

He was sixth in the AHL in scoring with 23 points in 20 games.

"I've been playing with some good linemates, and the coach there has been really good to me," Conner, 27, said about his success in Grand Rapids. "It's been good so far, and I want to keep it going."

The Wings are Conner's third team since making his NHL debut with Dallas in the 2006-07 season. He played three seasons with the Stars' organization and two with Pittsburgh. His last NHL game was April 10 with the Penguins.

FAMILIAR FACE: At the 2007 trade deadline, Ty Conklin was obtained by the Sabres after they dealt backup goalie Martin Biron to Philadelphia to free cap space. Conklin was around for the rest of the season, playing in five regular-season games with a talent-laden Sabres team that included Danny Briere and Chris Drury.

Playing behind starter Ryan Miller, Conklin watched his new team make it to the Eastern Conference finals before being eliminated by the Ottawa Senators.

"It was a very skilled team," Conklin said Friday. "It was a great bunch of guys and a lot of fun."

Conklin said he learned some things from Miller, but laughed when asked if he returned the favor and gave the Michigan State standout any pointers.

"Oh, no," Conklin said. "Ryan was just fine on his own."

NOTEBOOK: Ken Daniels' father, Marvin, died Friday at age 96. The Wings play-by-play announcer worked Friday's game for Fox Sports Detroit before heading to Toronto to handle arrangements. Dave Strader will do play-by-play for Sunday's game at Colorado, and Matt Shepard will call Tuesday's game at St. Louis.



Detroit 4, Buffalo 1: Red Wings win seventh straight

Staff Writer

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- With pinpoint passing and precision, the Red Wings showed why they are one of the hottest teams in the NHL.

Jimmy Howard made 27 saves, and the surging Wings stretched their winning streak to seven with a 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

Detroit scored three goals in the first period, peppering goalie Jhonas Enroth with 18 shots, and won for the 11th time in 13 games. The only losses came on a West Coast swing that helped them make corrections.

"We made a decision when we went out West not to be a mentally soft team," Howard said. "We want to be mentally tough. This game is full of mistakes, so it's how you respond after making them. We've gotten a lot mentally tougher since then."

The Red Wings were particularly strong in the second period when they killed three straight penalties and held on to their 3-0 lead.

"They had some opportunities to get back into the game in the second and get a goal," captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "But Jimmy really stepped up for us."

Jakub Kindl, Johan Franzen, and Valtteri Filppula scored the first-period goals for the Wings. Pavel Datsyuk pushed the lead to 4-1 by scoring into an empty net with 1:17 left.

"We feel we have a good team when we play with tempo and we play right," coach Mike Babcock said. "We have a lot of good players with a lot of experience, and have a good calmness about us. We don't get too high or too low, we just keep on playing."

Howard, making his 17th straight start, was a steady presence in net. In the second period he robbed Jason Pominville, who was left alone in the slot. He then stopped Nathan Gerbe on a breakaway in the third.

Jochen Hecht scored with 6:13 remaining to break up the shutout.

"The confidence in the room right now is great," Howard said. "And in hockey, confidence is everything."

Enroth made 32 saves for the Sabres, who have lost three of four.

Ryan Miller (Michigan State) dressed for the Sabres for the first time since suffering a concussion almost three weeks ago. He served as Enroth's backup and saw no action. Miller might start today at Nashville against the Predators.

"That first period showed how a top team plays in the NHL," Sabres defenseman Robyn Regehr said. "We have to be a lot sharper right off the bat. We have to work much harder and be harder on the pucks. Once (Detroit) gets the puck, they make very disciplined decisions."

After a four-game winning streak at the beginning of November, the Sabres are on a 3-6-1 slide.

"We've got to win a game, that's the bottom line," Buffalo forward Thomas Vanek said. "We've got to make a run here."

Hecht made it 3-1 after converting a 2-on-1 break with Pominville with a shot from the left circle.

Kindl staked Detroit to a 1-0 lead 8:50 into the game when his wrist shot from the left point got past Enroth.

Franzen made it 2-0 with a power-play goal with 6:22 left in the first, and Filppula pushed the lead to three goals 1:03 later.



Detroit Red Wings 4, Buffalo Sabres 1: Three-goal first period propels Red Wings to seventh straight win

Anthony Fenech

The Red Wings upped their winning streak to seven games with a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

A three-goal first period put the Sabres into a hole they couldn’t climb out of and Jimmy Howard stopped 26 shots for the victory.

“We made a decision when we went out west not to be a mentally soft team,” Howard said. “We want to be mentally tough. This game is full of mistakes, so it’s how you respond after making them. We’ve gotten a lot mentally tougher since then.”

• BOX SCORE HERE

Defenseman Jakub Kindl scored his first goal of the season with just under nine minutes played, before Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula notched back-to-back tallies to give Howard all the offense he would need for his 14th win of the season.

Franzen’s goal was his 11th of the season, assisted by Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk, and came on the power play at 13:38 of the first period.

Filppula then scored just over a minute later, off a feed from Henrik Zetterberg.

Datsyuk added an empty-net goal with less than two minutes to play to ice the game.

“We feel we have a good team when we play with tempo and we play right,” Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “We have a lot of good players with a lot of experience, and have a good calmness about us. We don’t get too high or too low, we just keep on playing. We think we have a chance to be a good team, but only time will tell.”

The teams skated to a scoreless second period and Buffalo’s Jochen Hecht scored his third goal of the season halfway through the third period to end Howard’s shutout bid.

“They had some opportunities to get back into the game in the second and get a goal,” Lidstrom said. “But Jimmy really stepped up for us.”

Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller dressed for the first time in three weeks but didn’t play.

The Wings outshot the Sabres, 36-17. They play next on Sunday at Colorado.

“The confidence in the room right now is great,” Howard said. “And in hockey, confidence is everything.”



Wings sink Sabres after three-goal first period

Gregg Krupa

Buffalo, N.Y. — Boosted by a blistering first period, in which they outshot the Sabres 18-8 and outscored them 3-0, the Red Wings won their seventh consecutive game Friday, 4-1.

The Wings got goals from Jakub Kindl, his first of the season; Johan Franzen, his 11th on the power play; and Valtteri Filppula, his eighth, all in the first period.

"We were able to get rolling and we put a lot of pucks on net," goalie Jimmy Howard said. "We're dangerous when we do that."

Several additional shots in the first period were near misses, including Jonathan Ericsson hitting the crossbar, Tomas Holmstrom robbed by the Buffalo goalie Jhonas Enroth at point blank range and a puck inadvertently stopped by defenseman Brayden McNabb's skate, as it got by Enroth in the crease.

"I thought we were moving the puck real well and spending a lot of time in their zone," said Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom.

It was the most shots this year against the Sabres, who played with four players not normally on their roster, all replacing injured regulars.

"You're basically asking kids to go up against a well-oiled machine," said the Sabres' coach, Lindy Ruff, after the game.

The Sabres, who were frequently booed by the fans, are now 1-4-1 in the last six. Things bogged down considerably for the Red Wings in the second period, when they made three consecutive trips to the penalty box. But they killed those penalties, and a fourth in the third period for a perfect night on the penalty kill. Howard was outstanding in the second period, facing nine shots.

In the third, he made perhaps his biggest save of the game, a scintillating stop on the Sabres' sniper Thomas Vanek in the third period. But Jochen Hecht spoiled the shutout at 13:47, when the Wings' defense moved up in the offensive zone and four Red Wings were all caught along the sideboards.

"I thought, the third period, we weren't quite as good," Coach Mike Babcock said. "You're up three-nothing, and so those things happen. But I'd have liked us to continue to play the same way and continue to go after them.

"I didn't like to see us give up the goal," Babcock said. "I didn't think it needed to have a pinch in that situation.

"But a big win for our team, and very important against a skilled Buffalo team."

Pavel Datsyuk added his eighth goal, a 95-foot shot into the empty net at 18:43 of the third period. The Wings were 1-for-5 on the power play. Chris Conner, a new addition to the lineup, authored a strong performance offensively and on the penalty kill. Conner, a native of Westland, is one of the smallest players in the league at five feet, eight inches. He often seemed the fastest player on the ice.

"I was obviously a little bit nervous at first," Connor said. "I'm not the biggest guy out there. So, I got to use my speed and get pucks behind their `D' and make trouble for their defense."

He was second on the team with four shots, and he blocked one and took the puck from the Sabres once. Justin Abdelkader, who assisted on Kindl's goal to begin the Wings' scoring, left the game at 6:49 of the third after jarring his head when he absorbed a heavy hit from the 6-foot-4, 204-pound McNabb. Abdelkader did not return. But he said after the game that he is fine, and that he merely underwent the cautionary procedures of the new NHL protocol governing potential concussions.

"I had to go through all of that stuff, so everything is fine," Abdelkader said. "I was trying to get around him, and he just came up a little high."

Detroit News LOADED: 12.03.2011


Wings on quest for road mastery

Gregg Krupa

Buffalo, N.Y.— The Red Wings have won 10 of their first 13 games at home, but they entered Friday's game against the Sabres with a .500 road mark.

So it was important to get off to a good start on a seven-week stretch in which they will play 14 of 19 away from home.

They beat the Sabres, 4-1, to improve their road record to 6-5.

Detroit hopes to begin playing as well away from Joe Louis Arena as it did last year, when its 26-11-4 record was second behind Vancouver.

"It's like anything else, if we play like we did last year on the road when we had one of the best records, it's nothing," coach Mike Babcock said. "If you get going in your head that you can't play on the road, then it becomes a problem for you."

Among the attributes of the team that normally leads to success on the road is depth and balance, which have been maintained through the years despite the salary cap.

When all the forwards and most of the defensemen are experienced in playing with one another, the forwards play well defensively and the team is strong at center, things tend to go well on the road.

Some players talk about how playing on the road tends to simplify their games. Some pressure is relieved because they do not feel they have to perform well to entertain the home fans.

And with the coach of the home team allowed to make the last personnel change before faceoffs, there is less juggling to match up with the other team.

"We should have a really good road team," Babcock said. "We're not worried about matchups, very much.

"We got good center-ice position, and they're all really good defensively."

Leino struggles

With the Sabres struggling to score entering Friday's game, the cold start for former Detroit and current Buffalo forward Ville Leino is more obvious.

Acquired as an unrestricted free agent during the offseason, Leino's weak start offensively — two goals and four assists in 24 games — is in stark contrast to clicking almost immediately with Philadelphia.

The Flyers acquired him from the Red Wings in February 2010 for a fifth-round pick and a defenseman who plays in Europe.

Last season, Leino, 28, scored 19 goals and had 34 assists.

"I've been feeling good," said Leino, who assisted on the only Sabres goal. "I just haven't been scoring. But I'm just waiting for a couple of goals to go in and for things to get rolling."

Leino said he dined with fellow Finn Valtteri Filppula , who is having a breakout season, and Niklas Kronwall after the Red Wings arrived Thursday.

"And I still see them summertimes, and there's a lot of good personnel on the team, and even some of the former players who used to play there and who are retired now are good people," Leino said.

Ice chips

Sandy and Fabian Brunnstrom welcomed their first child, son Alexander Noah (seven pounds, three ounces), overnight Thursday.

… Ken Daniels ' father, Marvin , died Fridayat 96. Daniels worked the game for Fox Sports Detroit.

But he was to travel immediately to Toronto tohandle family arrangements. Dave Strader will do play-by-play for thegame Sunday at Colorado, and Matt Shepard will call the game Tuesday at St. Louis.

… Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller (Michigan State) was busy the last few days denying he is interested in a trade.

But the town is abuzz with rumors. The thoughts are that trading Miller would bring good offense in a trade.

… Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard says he is not concerned about lagging in the All-Star balloting as a write-in, despite ranking near the top of the NHL in most categories.

"I could care less; really," he said. "Just play well, and whatever happens happens."



Wings sink Sabres after three-goal first period

Gregg Krupa

Buffalo — Boosted by a blistering first period, in which they outshot the Sabres 18-8 and outscored them 3-0, the Red Wings won their seventh consecutive game Friday, 4-1.

The Wings got goals from Jakub Kindl, his first of the season; Johan Franzen, his 11th and Valtteri Filppula, his eighth, all in the first period.

Several additional shots in the first period were near misses, including Jonathan Ericcson hitting the crossbar, Tomas Holmstrom robbed by the Buffalo goalie Jhonas Enroth at point blank range and a puck inadvertently stopped by defenseman Brayden McNabb's skate, as it got by Enroth in the crease.

It was the most shots against the Sabres in a period, this year.

They have not won a game after trailing 3-0 in nearly two years.

Pavel Datsyuk added his eight goal of the year on a 95-foot shot into the empty net in the third period.

It was a strong start to a seven-week period in which the Wings play 14 games on the road. They improved their road record this season to 6-5.

Excellent penalty killing by the Wings was to their advantage in the second period, when they made three consecutive trips to the penalty box.

Goalie Jimmy Howard was perfect in the period, facing nine shots.

Howard made a scintillating save on the Sabres' sniper Thomas Vanek in the third period. But Jochen Hecht spoiled the shutout at 13:47.

Forward Chris Conner (Livonia), who joined the Wings from Grand Rapids after the Nashville game, Wednesday, played a strong game, with two shots through two periods and a strong performance killing penalties.



Wings coach Mike Babcock: We've got to keep winning

Gregg Krupa

Buffalo —The red-hot Red Wings arrived in town on a day off Thursday to play tonight against the Sabres, who have struggled with injuries and to score, so far, this season.

The Wings are on a six-game winning streak, while Buffalo is 1-3-1, in the past five, and only 6-7-1 in the renamed Niagara Center, this year.

"We're five-and-five on the road," said coach Mike Babcock, after Friday's morning practice. "We've been good at home.

"We had a real good month, but in saying all of that I think if you look at the standings, we're within two points of being out of the playoffs.

"So, the reality of it is, you've got to keep on going," he said.

"Now, we're playing a good Buffalo team that plays a lot like we do, and it's going to be a good test for us. We got yesterday off. We should be fresh. It should be a good game. We're excited to have the opportunity to play and get started on the road."

The Red Wings play 14 of their next 19 games away from home, through January 10.

The Wings will start the 5-foot-8 Chris Conner, 27, a native of Westland, tonight, on a line with Darren Helm and Danny Cleary.

"I just want to come in and do anything I can to help the team win, and bring some energy and use my speed," said Conner, who has 16 goals and 40 points in 139 games, with Dallas and Pittsburgh. "I think that's a big part of it."

Conner also will kill penalties.

"We like the way he played in the preseason," Babcock said. "I think this is a real good opportunity for him."

Like the Wings in the previous two seasons, the Sabres are grappling with a dressing room that at times seems more like a clinic.

Five players remain injured, including key figures like the exceptional defenseman Tyler Myers (wrist), and the forwards Brad Boyes (lower body) and Patrick Kaleta (lower body), who were anticipated to provide goals.

The good news for the Sabres is that Tyler Ennis (ankle) returns to the lineup tonight, and the former Michigan State standout, goaltender Ryan Miller (head, neck), will dress for his first game since absorbing a controversial open-ice hit from Milan Lucic of the Bruins, November 14.

Miller will not start, but the Sabres hope for a quick contribution from the skilled Ennis, who has 58 points in 99 career games, against the high-flying Wings.

"We need healthy players," said Lindy Ruff, the coach of Buffalo. "Obviously, we've had some guys that have filled in and done an adequate job for us. But the quicker we get healthy the better we'll be.

"Today is another step in the right direction."

Ennis had no points in seven games, before injuring an ankle October 25, and as is sometimes the case with gifted offensive players, it has been a matter of matching his skills with what his team does.

"I think it's an opportunity to kick-start a segment of his season," Ruff said.

"It all fits part of our scheme. You need him to be creative when he can be. He knows the situations where he's got to hang on. He knows the situations where we need him to get the puck to the net.

"I think when you're in the grade-A scoring opportunities, he admitted he passed up some great opportunities, those are the ones.

"Part of Tyler being effective is his ability to hang on to the puck and open people up. We need Tyler to open people up."

Key injuries among defensemen have forced constant juggling, especially on the power play, where forward Jason Pominville has been moved from right wing to a point position.

Pominville and the forward, and captain, Thomas Vanek will be special points of emphasis for the Red Wings defensively, tonight. They are the highest scoring duo in the NHL with 22 goals.

But that is also one-third of the Sabres' production, this season.

Injuries on defense will force Joe Finley into the lineup for Buffalo, tonight. Finley is the fifth rookie to start his first game in the NHL for the Sabres this season.

At six feet, eight inches, and listed at 247 pounds, Finley has done some fighting for the Rochester Americans of the AHL. But when reporters asked him about his pugnacious tendencies and whether he knew much about the Red Wings, Finley was able to put two and two together, for them, saying he does not anticipate fighting much in the game.

"No, I'm just worried about playing good hockey; keeping those guys in front of us," Finley said. "The thing that I'm lucky for is having good teammates. I don't have to do anything spectacular. I just have to go out there and blend in."

Ruff said playing the Red Wings is a constant challenge, but even more so with a struggling team.

"They've got it going. And if you want to challenge, you've got to challenge.

"They are probably the best team in the league with puck possession" he said. "We've got to do a good job of taking the time away and taking the space away. And we know that's not easy."

Long histories probably do not mean much, but Detroit also is 17-4 against the Sabres in the past 15 seasons.



Strong start, another solid defensive effort gives Red Wings seventh win in a row

Ansar Khan

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Detroit Red Wings launched what figures to be the most challenging month of their season in fine form Friday.

The Red Wings scored three goals in the first period, continue to play strong defensively, and got another solid effort out of goaltender Jimmy Howard, defeating the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 at First Niagara Center for their seventh consecutive victory.

Jakub Kindl scored his first goal of the season. Johan Franzen notched his team-high 11th goal. Valtteri Filppula continued on a roll with another goal. Pavel Datsyuk scored an empty-net goal and added an assist for his fifth multiple-point game in the past seven games.

Howard, making his 17th consecutive start in goal, stopped 27 shots to improve to 15-5-1. Jochen Hecht spoiled his shutout bid with 6:13 to play in the third period.

"Our guys came ready to play," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "We were real hard on the puck, skated, did lots of good things, especially early. Got ourselves a big lead, took penalties in the second period, and even though we had big kills we kind of lost the momentum.

"I thought the third period we weren’t quite as good. You’re up 3-0, so those things happen. I would have liked to see us continue to go after them. I didn’t like to see us give up the goal. I don’t think we needed to have a pinch in that situation.

"But a good win for our team and very important against a skilled Buffalo team."

The last time the Red Wings won seven in a row was from March 20-April 1, 2010. Howard played all seven games back then, too.

Detroit has won four in a row on the road to improve to 6-5-0 away from home. The Red Wings play 10 of 15 games on the road in December. This was the first game in a stretch that sees them play 14 of 19 away from home.

"I think if we play like did last year on the road — we had one of the best records -- then it’s nothing," Babcock said. "If you get it in your head that you can’t play on the road, then it becomes a problem for you.

"To me, we should have a real good road team. We’re not worried about matchups very much. We’ve got good center ice position and they’re all pretty good defensively. Let’s play the games."

Trailing 3-0, the Sabres had a chance to get back in the game with three consecutive power plays in the second period. But the Red Wings shut them down.

"We did a lot of good things, keeping them out on the perimeter, just having them move around and being in lanes," Howard said.

The Red Wings dominated the first period, controlling the puck in the offensive zone much of the time, making precision passes and making it look easy as they scored three unanswered goals. Tomas Holmstrom provided net-front presence on the first two.

Kindl began the surge by scoring at 8:50. He threw the puck at the net from the point. It was deflected past goalie Jhonas Enroth by Sabres defenseman Andrej Sekera, Kindl said.

"We were talking about it before the game, we have to shoot the puck," Kindl said. "That was a good pass by Tommy, I just tried to get it through and finally it went in."

Franzen made it 2-0 on the power play at 13:38. He fired in a shot from the slot after controlling a nice slap-pass from Nicklas Lidstrom.

"We pressured hard on their (defensemen), had a lot of room in the middle," Franzen said. "Got it off my skate and finally got it on my stick. Homer did a good job in front of the net as usual. The goalie couldn’t see it."

Filppula capped the rally at 14:41. Henrik Zetterberg stole the puck from Hecht at the Buffalo blue line and centered a backhand pass to an onrushing Filppula. He sidestepped Marc-Andre Gragnani in the slot and fired a shot past Enroth.

Filppula has five goals and two assists in his past five games.

"We started the way we wanted to," Kindl said. "They’re a quick team so we had to be even quicker, make smart decisions with the puck, try to wear their D down and it worked."

Buffalo scored at 13:47 of the third period when Hecht converted a pass from Jason Pominville on a two-on-one. Datsyuk wrapped it by scoring with 1:17 remaining. He has six goals and 13 points in his past eight games.

A Detroit team that was battling to get into playoff position a couple of weeks ago now is challenging for the top spot in the Western Conference.

"We feel we have a good team when we play with tempo," Babcock said. "We got a lot of good players, lot of experience, a good calmness about us. We don’t get too high, don’t get too low, just keep on playing. We think we chance to be a good team. Only time’s going to tell.

"But we also understand how tight the league is. We played pretty consistent all year long and still had a six-game losing streak, so that’s how tough the league is."

Michigan Live LOADED: 12.03.2011


Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader says he's fine after hit; Sabres Nathan Gerbe cut in face by skate

Ansar Khan

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Quick post-game update:

Detroit Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader said he's fine after taking a hit to the head from Buffalo defenseman Brayden McNabb late in the third period Friday.

Abdelkader did not return to the game but said he will practice Saturday in Denver and be ready for Sunday's game in Colorado.

“Just trying to get around him, he came up a little high; I didn't see the replay,'' Abdelkader said. "I just had to go through all the tests. Everything is fine.''

Also, Sabres forward Nathan Gerbe (Oxford) was cut in the nose and lip by the skate blade of a teammate late in the third period. Coach Lindy Ruff said he was in a lot of pain, but no surgery is needed and he is questionable for Saturday's game in Nashville.



Sabres still waiting for former Red Wing Ville Leino to pay dividends after big-money deal

Ansar Khan

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres were expecting big production from former Detroit Red Wings forward Ville Leino, after signing him to a six-year, $27 million free-agent contract in July.

But the season has been a colossal struggle for Leino, who has just two goals and four assists, along with a minus-4 rating, in 24 games heading into tonight's contest against the Red Wings.

“I guess you could be (frustrated), but I've been feeling good, I just haven't been scoring and producing,'' Leino said before the game. "Obviously, that's what you need to do. I'm just waiting for a couple of goals to get in and get things rolling.''

Leino, who had dinner Thursday night with former teammates Valtteri Filppula and Niklas Kronwall, cashed in big after a tremendous playoff run with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 (seven goals, 14 assists in 19 games). He followed that up with a strong regular season (19 goals, 34 assists in 81 games).

But he appears to have regressed to his 2009-10 form in Detroit (four goals, seven points in 42 games) which got him traded.

“You could always shoot more and try to go more to the net and maybe simplify things a little bit, but the main thing is you want to score,'' Leino said.

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Leino's been getting chances.

“Ville's had, even last game, great opportunities that he's got to start turning into goals,'' Ruff said. "He's close, he's just got to start cashing in.''

He has to, for the Sabres' sake. This small-market team splurged big-time in the free-agent market and even has a bigger payroll (right at the $64.3 million salary cap) than the Red Wings ($58.6 million). But Buffalo isn't getting its money's worth from a lot of players, as its 13-10-1 record shows.

Leino played most of the 2008-09 season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, after the Red Wings signed the late-blooming undrafted free agent in 2008.



Red Wings defensemen active, scoring goals at highest rate in NHL

Ansar Khan

DETROIT -- Defensemen are jumping up into the play more than ever for the Detroit Red Wings, firing pucks and scoring goals at a higher rate than any team in the NHL.

Of Detroit’s 69 goals, 20 have come from the defense. That leads the league -- four more than Vancouver’s blue line and more than twice as many as most other clubs.

Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall lead the way with six goals each, followed by Ian White (four), Brad Stuart (three) and Jonathan Ericsson, who scored his first goal of the season in Wednesday’s 4-2 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit’s season-high sixth in a row.

The Red Wings are on pace to eclipse last season’s goal total by the defense (41).

"We’re doing a good job of picking our moments," goaltender Jimmy Howard said. "I think a lot of that comes from keeping a third man high. It’s allowing our D to be a little bit more active on the point. When the D are active like that, it makes it a lot harder (for opponents) to play defense."

The Red Wings begin a three-game road trip tonight at Buffalo. If Howard plays, it will be his 17th consecutive start.

Goal scoring was an issue for the Red Wings during a six-game winless streak (0-5-1) from Oct. 22-Nov. 3, when they scored only six goals. It’s not a concern right now, however, as Detroit ranks ninth in the league in goals-per-game (2.96).

The defense is doing its part.

"The D are shooting the puck and we’re having traffic in front of the net," Lidstrom said. "Just getting the shots through has been key for us. We’re getting them on net for tips and rebounds and getting rewarded for that."

Kronwall credited forwards who are providing a net-front presence.

"That’s where it all starts," Kronwall said. "Our forwards are doing a great job of holding onto the puck and being strong on the puck down low. Anytime they do that, they’ll create some more open space and more room for us to jump in."

Stuart, a stay-at-home defender not relied on for offense, said, "The forwards have been doing a great job of creating screens in front and making it hard for goalies. That’s the most important thing because you’re not going to score a lot of goals from the blue line when the goalie has a clear view of it."

Coach Mike Babcock said the harder the forwards play, the less they turn the puck over, the more active the defense will be.

"Obviously, it’s important," Babcock said. "We think those guys got that skill set."



Red Wings win 7th straight, beat Sabres 4-1

Staff Writer

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Jimmy Howard made 27 saves, and the Detroit Red Wings stretched their winning streak to seven with a 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

Jakub Kindl, Johan Franzen, and Valtteri Filppula scored first-period goals for Detroit (16-7-1), which last won seven in a row in March 2010. Pavel Datsyuk pushed the lead to 4-1 by scoring into an empty net with 1:17 left.

Howard, making his 17th straight start, was steady throughout. In the second period he robbed Jason Pominville, who was left alone in the slot. He then stopped Nathan Gerbe on a breakaway in the third.

Jochen Hecht spoiled Howard's shutout bid with 6:13 remaining.

Jhonas Enroth, making his ninth straight start in place of No. 1 goalie Ryan Miller, made 32 saves for the Sabres (13-11-1), who have lost three of four.

Miller was in uniform for the first time since sustaining a concussion nearly three weeks earlier, and served as Enroth's backup. Miller might start Saturday at Nashville against the Predators.

Hecht made it 3-1 after converting a 2-on-1 break with Pominville with a shot from the left circle.

Kindl staked Detroit to a 1-0 lead 8:50 into the game when his wrist shot from the left point got past a partially screened Enroth.

Franzen made it 2-0 with a power-play goal with 6:22 left in the first, and Filppula pushed the lead to three goals just 63 seconds later.

NOTES: Red Wings RW Chris Conner played in his first NHL game since April after being recalled on Wednesday from Grand Rapids of the AHL. ... Detroit will play 10 of its 15 December games on the road. ... Buffalo D Joe Finley made his NHL debut and became the ninth rookie to play for the Sabres this season. Philadelphia leads the league with 10. ... Filppula has five goals during his current five-game point streak. ... The Sabres also got LW Tyler Ennis and RW Patrick Kaleta back in the lineup following injuries, but they are still without five regulars. ... Gerbe left with 7½ minutes left after Paul Gaustad's stick inadvertently struck him in the face.

Macomb Daily LOADED: 12.03.2011

598015 Edmonton Oilers

Oilers Notes: Nugent-Hopkins scores second rookie of the month honours

Oilers teenager only second player to win October and November in past 20 years

By Jim Matheson, edmontonjournal.com

December 2, 2011Edmonton Rush

EDMONTON - So, Edmonton Oilers youngster Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is two-for-two, winning rookie of the month for October and November.

That’s only happened one other time in the last 20 years — Pittsburgh Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin in 2006 — if you’re wondering how rare it is for rookies to take the October and November voting.

Nugent-Hopkins had 16 points in November after 11 in October. Only two other Oilers have ever had more points in a single month as rookies — Glenn Anderson (23) and Jari Kurri (20) in 1981. Wayne Gretzky? The NHL refused to say he was a rookie because he played one year in the World Hockey Association, a rival league they barely acknowledged through the 1970s.

Unless the Oilers -centre, who got an assist 21 seconds into -Friday’s game with the Columbus Blue Jackets, setting up Jordan Eberle on the power play, takes a mighty fall, he’s going to win rookie of the year, too. Nobody in an Oilers jersey has ever won the Calder. Jason Arnott finished second in a close race with New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur in 1993-94, after Arnott had 33 goals (one more than Kurri had as a rookie) and 68 points.

Nugent-Hopkins went into Friday’s game sixth in league scoring — Phil Kessel, Claude Giroux, Joffrey Lupul, Daniel Sedin and Thomas Vanek ahead of him — but claims not to notice the scoring race. He says he doesn’t hit the hay every night by clicking on nhl.com to see who did what and where, unlike most scribes needing their hockey fix -before bed.

“I only look at them (points race) every couple of weeks. I’m playing Xbox. I’m not on the computer much,” said the 18-year-old.

“He’s not like Hallsy (Taylor Hall). He watches a lot of games,” said -Oilers defenceman Ryan Whitney.

Whitney can’t believe how good Nugent-Hopkins is.

“If you’re a defenceman, you just want to get him the puck. Really, defencemen get lots of points because of the guys they play with,” said Whitney, who says the sky’s the limit with the kid who had figured on 14 of the Oilers’ first 22 powerplay goals and was on the ice for 18 of them.

The puck is on Nugent-Hopkins’ stick and to somebody else in shorter time than it takes to spell his name.He’s very much like Joe Sakic, Nugent-Hopkins’ hero growing up.

“I remember Joe saying he had the puck on his stick for all of 25 seconds one night and he thought he’d had it all game. That’s how good he was,” said Whitney.

Lest we forget, Nugent-Hopkins was barely into junior high when the Oilers were in the Stanley Cup final in 2006, however. He was the NHL’s rookie of the month for November, but he couldn’t grow a moustache for Movember.

“I’m a rookie still,” said Nugent-Hopkins, who has had a few jokes played on him. “One night I got a call in my room on the road from somebody who wanted to do an interview. It turned out to be Hordy (Darcy Hordichuk). After five minutes, I could hear giggling in the background.”Whitney not a dirty playerWhitney was a little ticked when some suggested he’d stuck his knee out on Cal Clutterbuck on Wednesday night, leaving the Wild disturber with a charleyhorse.

“He jumped inside me. That’s my ice. My knee didn’t move. I didn’t stick my knee out at all. I didn’t get a call (from the the league), no talking-to or fine,” said Whitney, who wants to play more but understands where the coaching staff is coming from after missing all of camp and spraining his knee four games into his season.

He’s had his ice-time monitored after playing well over 20 minutes a night last year.

“If a guy jumps back in and you play him 24 minutes a night, sometimes you have diminishing returns when you overplay a guy,” said Oilers coach Tom Renney.Brassard gets his chanceAfter Derick Brassard’s agent, Allan Walsh, ripped into Columbus coach Scott Arniel Thursday, saying Arniel had a history of burying guys (Mike Commodore?) and that he was was singling out the young forward and using him as “the fall guy”, Brassard was in the lineup against the Oilers after sitting out seven of the previous 10 games.

Brassard, the Jackets’ first pick in 2006, had 47 points last year, but has struggled with little ice-time this year.

Does Arniel care what an agent says? “Not one bit,” he said. GM Scott Howson is on his coach’s side, although if he’s thinking of trading the kid, it’s tough to do so when he’s not playing.

“Scott has my full support with respect to who he plays and the handling of the hockey team. We all want Derick to play better and be the player he can be. The only person who can impact Derick’s playing time is Derick himself,” Howson told the Columbus Dispatch.

Brassard won’t comment, but it would be a stretch to think his agent blasted away without the kid’s say so.Carter sits this one outThe Jackets surprisingly scratched centre Jeff Carter, who was in the shootout Thursday in Calgary. They’re saying lower-body injury and he was seen limping around the hotel on Friday. It might be more trouble with his broken foot that kept him out for 10 games earlier this season, or maybe a knee.Green black and blueFarmhand Josh Green, out for weeks with bad ribs and expected to return this weekend, was hurt in a fluke incident with the Oklahoma City Barons.

“He was skating up the ice behind the play and the ref hit him. He was clearly in some pain and we were all yelling from the bench, ‘get that guy,’ then we found out it was the ref. Can’t exactly go after the ref,” said Ryan O’Marra.

OK City winger Teemu Hartikainen has a serious shoulder injury. “He had the puck on the outside, driving to the right post and got tripped up a bit, went into the boards and stuck his arm out,” said O’Marra.This ’n’ thatCentre Anton Lander missed his second straight game with an infected hand, but could play Saturday against the Calgary Flames at Rexall Place on the Hockey Night in Canada game. He says he damaged the hand against the Boston Bruins a few weeks back … Hall skated hard before practice and might be closer to two weeks on the shelf than four with his shoulder problem … Winger Ben Eager, who’s had back spasms after an early-season concussion, practised Friday morning and may be ready for the Flames, too … O’Marra is tickled for farmhand Philippe Cornet, who has 15 goals in 19 games in OK City. He had just seven goals in 60 games last year, but O’Marra says that’s misleading. “People get caught up in looking at stat lines, feeling everybody’s playing the same amount, in the same situations. Last year Phil was playing seven or eight minutes a game, in and out of the lineup, tough to get points in any league. This year, he’s the go-to guy on our power play. He finds areas to score and you can’t teach that,” said O’Marra.

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 12.03.2011


Oilers dust off Jackets

Winger Jones scores first hat trick

By Joanne Ireland, edmontonjournal.com

December 2, 2011 11:59 PMEdmonton Rush

EDMONTON - Over the years, Ryan Jones has had a front-row seat for hat-tossing events. He’s heard crowds roar and watched teammates celebrate multi-goal performances, but until Friday, the Edmonton Oilers assiduous winger hadn’t even scored more one in a game, let alone a hat trick.

“I don’t know if you could ever expect that, especially a guy like me, who just grinds away. The goals don’t come that easy,” he said after he put away two even-strength markers and an empty-net goal in a 6-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Rexall Place.

“Then to have it happen on a night like tonight, when we really needed them, is something special.”

The Oilers popped in four third-period goals — three off the stick of Jones — to mend their ways and erase a 2-1 second-period deficit. The win snapped their three-game losing streak and will propel the club into Saturday’s contest against the Calgary Flames.

“The first period was awful. I don’t know what happened, but in the second, we picked it up a little bit, then we really stuck with our game plan,” said defenceman Smid, another of the unlikeliest of goal scorers.

“This should build our confidence back. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t play the way we did in the third. Guys are going to be really excited and we shouldn’t be giving up two points in our building.”

Smid had gone almost two years between goals before he finally ended his skid on Nov. 26 in a 5-2 loss against the Colorado Avalanche. His career high is three (2006-07), half of his new NHL goal total.

“If I ever scored a hat trick it would be great. You wouldn’t be able to stop my celebrating,” said Smid. “I would probably go nuts.

“But honestly, I closed my eyes (on the third period goal). When I was getting the pass, I looked at the net then I looked down and just tried to pound it. There was no aiming. When I came to the bench, (Ryan Whitney) was just laughing at me. He said, ‘Did you even look at the net?’ I didn’t.”

The Oilers (13-10-3) got off to a lightning-quick start, turning a Rick Nash hooking call into a 1-0 lead just 21 seconds after the puck dropped. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins threaded a pass over to Jordan Eberle, who beat Curtis Sanford to register his 10th goal of the season.

The trouble was, the Oilers let up, then got into some penalty trouble. Already killing off a Darcy Hordichuk unsportsmanlike minor, the Oilers were served their league-high seventh bench minor of the season. The Blue Jackets turned the 32 second five-on-three into a 1-1 tie, courtesy of Mark Letestu’s one-timer at 18:54 of the first.

The visitors had a 21-7 advantage on the shot clock after the first 20 minutes, then took a 2-1 lead in the second on Derek Dorsett’s first goal of the night, a short-handed marker that came on the heels of slips by both defenceman Tom Gilbert, who stumbled when he went to play the puck, and goaltender Devan Dubnyk, who charged out to try and make the poke check.

Instead, he left the net wide open for the Blue Jackets penalty killer, who upped the Oilers short-handed goals-against tally to two.

Dorsett put in an even-strength rebound in the third. It was also his first multi-goal night.

“Coming into the third, we knew we had to put on the full-court press,” said Jones, after his 202nd NHL game. “I think it shows the maturity of how far this team has come in the last couple of years. We need to come back and win games like that.”

“This morning we had a video session and the coaches showed us how we don’t go to the net enough,” said Smid. “I guess it worked. Guys were going

to the net, especially in the third and we got some greasy goals. It was nice to see.”

At 1:41 of the third, Jones wrapped around his first to kickstart the Oilers outburst. He also hit a one-timer after Smid took advantage of an Eberle screen, then tucked away an empty netter with an unselfish feed from captain Shawn Horcoff.

Ales Hemsky, with a backhander, added to the tally.

The Jackets (7-15-3) finished with a 39-34 advantage on the shot clock. They are 0-7-1 when they have 35 or more shots on net.

“I’ve seen guys do it in the past, but Horc was just so unselfish on the empty net. He could have shot it, which just goes to show what kind of leader he is,” said Jones, who figured it was back in college that he last heard fans chanting his name.

“That’s one of the highlights of my NHL career so far. That was special.”



Ryan Jones joins exclusive club

Posted by:

Jim Matheson

Only 48 players have ever had a three-goal game in regular-season for the Edmonton Oilers in their 32 years, so Ryan Jones joined a fairly exclusive Hat-Trick Club with his three on the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday night.

If you’re wondering who’s had one, here’s the list. Drum roll, please:

Joe Murphy, Doug Weight, Don Ashby, who died in a car crash in his 20s, Marc-Andre Bergeron, current Oilers’ assistant coach Kelly Buchberger, Jimmy Carson, Erik Cole, Shane Corson, Geoff Courtnall, Boyd Devereaux, Sam Gagner, Marty Gelinas, Adam Graves, Mike Grier, Brent Grieve, Dave Hannan, Shawn Horcoff, Pat Hughes, Mike Krushelnyski, Norm Lacombe, Georges Laraque, Willy Lindstrom, Ken Linseman, Ethan Moreau, Rem Murray, Fernando Pisani, Oilers’ pro scout Dave Semenko, Gord Sherven and Risto Siltanen.

As you can see, some how-did-that-happens (Laraque, Semenko, Grieve, Bergeron). I remember Semenko’s. It was at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 19, 1980. Two on Wayne Thomas and the third into an empty-net, like Jones, from Wayne Gretzky, who waited about six steamboats until Semenko got in the open and slid it to him. Laraque got his three on Stephane Fiset, jumping into the glass after the third goal 11 years ago. Bergeron got three on Dominik Hasek.

We don’t have to tell you that Phoenix captain Shane Doan, one of the NHL’s most honest, hard-working guys, has NEVER had a hat-trick in his 1,143 career games, and he’s had 303 goals. That’s unfathomable considering the list we just showed you, but nobody said life was fair. On this one night, Jones was golden. Three shots, three goals, all in the third period.

Fittingly, it was Horcoff, who got all three goals for the Oilers in a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 10, 2006, setting up Jones for the one into the vacated net Friday.

What’s it like when a guy’s on the ice with an empty net and the whole building is holding their breath hoping he gets the hat-trick? “You go out for the draw knowing the situation,” said Horcoff, “and it’s different when you’re up by two goals. If it’s just a one-goal lead and a guy’s open, then for sure you get it to him, but in this case we were all looking for him. He’s such a heart-and-soul player for us. You don’t know how often these sort of things will come by for Jonesy.”

Did Horcoff get one into the empty-net, too. “Nah, I did mine the right way,” he said, jokingly.

All three came on Marc-Andre Fleury.



Nuge wins second straight rookie of month award

Posted by:

Jim Matheson

Under news flashes, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins winning a second straight NHL Rookie of the Month award (first October, now November) is like saying it’s cold in Siberia and Lanny McDonald has a helluva moustache.

Well, duh? The kid had 16 points in November after 11 in October. He’s sixth in NHL scoring behind Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, Claude Giroux, Daniel Sedin and Thomas Vanek with 27 points, more than a point-a-game. That’s impressive, but no more so than Nugent-Hopkins being in on 13 of the 21 Oiler powerplay goals so far but being on the ice for 17 of them.

The kid can play.

The NHL rookie nod was a foregone conclusion, although Jersey’s Adam Henrique with 14 points in 14 games certainly deserves mention. What is interesting is only one other guy–Evgeni Malkin in 2006–has won the first two rookie of the month awards. He wasn’t a flash in the pan. Don’t think RNH will be either.

Only two Oiler rookies have ever had more points in a single month than Nugent-Hopkins, too. Two Hall of Famers–Jari Kurri and Glenn Anderson–in March of 1981. Anderson had 23 points, Kurri 20. No Gretzky. The NHL steadfastly refused to consider 99 a rookie because he had played in the World Hockey Association for a year, even though they badmouthed the rival league at every turn.

Nugent-Hopkins swears he doesn’t look at nhl.com every night before he hits the hay to see who won where and who’s leading whom in the scoring race, unlike, say, me. I need that fix. RNH doesn’t. “Maybe every couple of weeks I look (scoring race). I’m playing X-box instead. I don’t go on my computer too much,” said RNH.

“Yeah, I don’t think he cares who’s doing what on other teams. He’s not like Hallsy (Taylor Hall). He watches lots of games,” said defenceman Ryan Whitney.

Whitney can’t believe how good Nugent-Hopkins is. The puck’s on his stick a millisecond and it’s gone to somebody else, like the retired Joe Sakic and Sidney Crosby. “I remember reading once where Joe said the puck was on his stick for like 25 seconds in a game. He thought he had it much longer than that. That’s how good he was,” said Whitney.

Nugent-Hopkins doesn’t carry it end-to-end. He’s all give-and-go, and he’s a defenceman’s dream. “That’s how defencemen get 50 assists in a season playing with guys like Nuge. You just get him the puck,” said Whitney.

He’s still only 18, though. The older players keep him in his place. He hasn’t carried any of their bags yet, but he probably would. He’d pay for the Starbucks on the road, too. “I know I’m just a rookie,” he said.

“One time on the road I got a call in my room from some guy who said he wanted to do an interview. It was Hordy (Darcy Hordichuk). Five minutes in I heard this giggling in the background.”

Nobody laughs about the kid’s talent, though. The Oilers have never had a rookie-of-the-year. Again, they didn’t consider Gretzky a rookie. Jason Arnott, with a 33-goal, 68-point season, finished second to Jersey goalie Marty Brodeur in the ’93-94 Calder voting.



O'Marra heeds Oilers' call

By DEREK VAN DIEST, QMI Agency

EDMONTON - Ryan O’Marra wasn’t expecting a phone call from the Edmonton Oilers.

But with a number of injures up front and some of their regular call-ups hurt down on the farm, O’Marra was given an opportunity to fill a spot on the Oilers fourth line.

He was in the lineup for his second game as the Oilers played host to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.

“I was actually about to barbecue with my roommates when I got the call,” O’Marra said. “Actually at first, I was worried that they were calling me because I didn’t leave my credit card number for incidentals at the hotel because we had just gotten back from a road trip. But that wasn’t the case. It’s always a good feeling when you get called up.”

Acquired in the trade that sent Ryan Smyth to the New York Islanders in 2005, O’Marra had four goals and four assists in 20 games with the Oklahoma City Barons this season.

He suited up in 21 games for the Oilers last season, scoring a goal an adding four assists.

“It’s another opportunity to try and show you belong in this league and they made the right choice in calling me up,” O’Marra said. “Each game you just have to keep progressing and try to force their hand so I can stay longer.”

O’Marra, 24, was selected by the Islanders in the first round — 15th overall — of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

He’s become a key component in the Barons success this season.

“Things are going really well,” he said. “I’m playing the same role I’ve always been playing, first out on the penalty-kill and on for important face-off situations. I’m trying to play strong defensively and physically. I’ve been able to get a few more points this year. I think that’s a factor in our team’s success. We’ve been really deep this year, we’ve been getting secondary scoring which is great and that’s helped me a lot.”

TALK TO THE AGENT

Derick Brassard was not interesting in discussing the latest rambling by his agent Allan Walsh.

On Thursday, Walsh lashed out at Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Scott Arniel for making Brassard a healthy scratch against the Calgary Flames that night.

“The coach (Arniel) has a history of burying players and using them as scapegoats to mask his own lack of success on the ice,” Walsh wrote in a news release. “Derick has been singled out, almost from the very beginning of the season, to be the fall guy in case things don’t go well. The Columbus organization cares about Derick and has been good to him, but at some point, one has to say, enough is enough.”

Brassard was selected by the Blue Jackets in the first round — sixth overall — of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He had two goals and two assists in 18 games heading into Friday’s contest against the Oilers with a team-worst minus-11 rating.

Brassard was in the lineup because Jeff Carter suffered a leg injury in the Blue Jackets win over Calgary on Thursday.

QUICK OUT OF THE GATE

Jordan Eberle’s goal in the first period came shortly after the opening face-off, but it was nowhere near the quickest goal ever scored by the Oilers to start a game.

Wayne Gretzky scored eight seconds into a contest in New York against the Rangers on Dec. 14, 1983.

Eberle scored 21 seconds into Friday’s contest, converting a cross-ice pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

The Oilers have also given up a goal eight seconds into a game, as Tim Kerr pulled off the feat for the Philadelphia Flyers on March 7, 1989.

The Oilers’ quickest goal from the start of a period was scored by Glenn Anderson on March 17, 1984, converting six seconds into the third period in a 9-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings.

FIGHT CLUB

Darcy Hordichuk had been itching to pick a fight heading into the Oilers current home stand having yet to drop the gloves for his new team.

On Friday, Hordichuk fought for the second time in two games as he exchanged blows with Jared Boll towards the end of the first period. Hordichuk won the bout, knocking Boll down with a left hand. Earlier in the period, Hordichuk was trying to convince Derek Dorsett to drop the gloves. The Blue Jackets winger, who went on to score his team’s second goal declined the offer.

After Hordichuk knocked down Boll, he skated by the Blue Jackets bench on the way to the dressing room and told Dorsett he was next, earning an unsportsmanlike penalty in the process.

[email protected]

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 12.03.2011

598020 Florida Panthers

Tough loss frustrates Florida Panthers coach

George Richards

Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, right, stops a shot by Florida Panthers left wing Tim Kennedy, left, and defenseman Matt Greene looks on during the third period of their NHL hockey game, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, in Los Angeles. The Kings won 2-1.

Panthers coach Kevin Dineen said he walked out of Staples Center in Los Angeles feeling good about his team despite a 2-1 loss to the Kings on Thursday night.

A day later, regret definitely set in.

Florida played the better game Thursday, outshooting the Kings 42-26 and having plenty of scoring chances throughout. But goalie Jonathan Quick was outstanding, his lone blemish a goal by Sean Bergenheim in the second period off a loose puck.

Two points aren’t easy to come by on the road, and for the Panthers, they’ve been extremely difficult to get against the Kings. Los Angeles has now won seven in a row against Florida since 2003.

“There’s frustration from last night. After the game, I was upbeat, we had played hard,’’ Dineen said Friday afternoon. “The frustration of not getting the two points has kicked in. There were a couple individual performances in the game that irritated me, and I wanted to make sure I addressed them [Friday]. If we don’t have all cylinders running, we cough and spit.’’

Quick is 3-0 against the Panthers and has an 8-1 mark against teams from the Southeast Division during his career.

“He made big saves all night and we just didn’t have an answer,’’ said Stephen Weiss, who had five of Florida’s shots. “We’ll regroup and hopefully have the same effort against San Jose, just get some bounces. We had great chances all night. They just weren’t going in. The other night in Carolina we didn’t have our best game by any means, but we got a bounce and won the game.’’

Defenseman Mike Weaver said he continues to be encouraged by the Panthers attitude and play on the road.

Florida has won eight road games this season — tied for most in the league as of Friday afternoon — and have played well in all but four of its 14 games away from South Florida.

“I would be more upset if we didn’t get all those chances,’’ Weaver said.

“We came out hard and battled. We didn’t get the result we wanted, but if we play like that, we’re going to be on the positive side most nights.’’

No suspension

Bergenheim will not be suspended nor fined for his hit on Los Angeles center Mike Richards during the second period Thursday. Bergenheim lowered his shoulder when he hit Richards — the former Philadelphia center who crushed David Booth with an open-ice hit in 2009 — and made contact with Richards’ lowered head.

Richards then slashed Bergenheim and the two were both charged with roughing.

Los Angeles’ Jarret Stoll also was charged with a minor penalty and the Panthers ended up with a four-minute power play.

The Panthers went 0 for 6 with the advantage on Thursday and are two for their past 27 tries on the power play over the course of six games.

Samuelsson’s status

Winger Mikael Samuelsson worked out with the team for the fourth consecutive day Friday but said he’s not ready to play Saturday. Samuelsson is coming back from complications from a sports-hernia surgery performed last May.

He hasn’t played since being acquired from Vancouver in the Booth deal on Oct. 22.

“I feel better every day, just plugging away’’ Samuelsson said. “I have to be cautious so I can play the whole season. I want to play, but I know I have to be cautious. I’ll be on the ice every day, getting game ready.’’

Kris Versteeg missed Thursday’s game not because of a fractured nose but because he had headaches and symptoms of whiplash after taking a forearm to the nose from Carolina’s Derek Joslin. Versteeg, who returned to Tuesday’s game, practiced Friday.

“I wouldn’t miss a game with a broken nose,’’ Versteeg said.

“I just had to get cleared by everyone.’’

• The Panthers and goalie Tyler Plante have parted ways after Plante passed through waivers on Friday. Plante lost the battle to back up Jose Theodore during training camp to Jacob Markstrom and didn’t fare well at either the AHL or ECHL level this season. Assistant general manager Mike Santos said Plante signed with a team in the Swedish Elite League.

Miami Herald LOADED: 12.03.2011


Florida Panthers Notebook

No Suspension for Bergenheim on 'Mike Richards Hit 2.0' ... Kris Versteeg Back v. San Jose Sharks but No Samuelsson ... Cats and Tyler Plante Part Ways

George Richards

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Panthers winger Sean Bergenheim will not be suspended nor fined for his hit on Los Angeles center Mike Richards during the second period Thursday.

Bergenheim lowered his shoulder when he hit Richards – the former Philadelphia center who crushed David Booth with an open-ice hit in 2009 – and made contact with Richards' lowered head.

Richards then slashed Bergenheim and the two were both charged with roughing. Los Angeles' Jarret Stoll was also charged with a minor penalty and the Panthers ended up with a four minute power play.

The Panthers went 0-for-6 with the advantage on Thursday and are two for their past 27 tries on the power play over the course of six games.

"I thought it was a good hit,'' coach Kevin Dineen said, adding he's still ticked nothing happened to Carolina's Derek Joslin.

Samuelsson-- Winger Mikael Samuelsson worked out with the team for the fourth straight day Friday but said he's not ready to play Saturday.

Samuelsson is coming back from complications from a sports hernia surgery performed last May. He hasn't played since being acquired from Vancouver in the Booth deal on Oct. 22.

“I feel better every day, just plugging away'' Samuelsson said. “I have to be cautious so I can play the whole season. I want to play but I know I have to be cautious. I'll be on the ice every day, getting game ready.''

-- Kris Versteeg missed Thursday's game not because of a fractured nose but because he had headaches and symptoms of whiplash after taking a forearm to the nose from Carolina's Derek Joslin.

Versteeg, who returned to Tuesday's game, practiced Friday.

“I wouldn't miss a game with a broken nose,'' Versteeg said. “I just had to get cleared by everyone.''

Plantemask1-- The Panthers and goalie Tyler Plante have parted ways after Plante passed through waivers on Friday. Plante lost the battle to backup Jose Theodore during training camp to Jacob Markstrom and didn't fare well at either the AHL or ECHL level this season.

Assistant GM Mike Santos said Plante signed with a team in the Swedish Elite League.

-- Former Panthers winger Pavel Bure is among five players who will be inducted into the International PavelIce Hockey Federation Hall of Fame on May 20 in Helsinki, Finland.

Bure is also considered to have a good shot to be part of the Hockey Hall of Fame's Class of 2012 after missing out on his first ballot this year.



Florida Panthers Regret Lost Points against Los Angeles Kings ... Panthers Roadie Continues Saturday in San Jose

George Richards

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Panthers coach Kevin Dineen said he walked out of Staples Center in Los Angeles feeling good about his team despite a 2-1 loss to the Kings on Thursday night.

A day later, regret definitely set in. Florida played the better game on Thursday, outshooting the Kings 42-26 and having plenty of scoring chances throughout.

Only goalie Jonathan Quick was outstanding, his lone blemish a goal to Sean Bergenheim in the second off a loose puck.

Two points aren't easy to come by on the road, and for the Panthers, they've been extremely difficult to get against the Kings. Los Angeles has now won seven straight against Florida since 2003.

“There's frustration from last night. After the game, I was upbeat, we had played hard,'' Dineen said Friday afternoon.

“The frustration of not getting the two points has kicked in. There were a couple individual performances in the game that irritated me and I Kings2wanted to make sure I addressed them [Friday]. If we don't have all cylinders running, we cough and spit.''

Quick is 3-0 against the Panthers and 8-1 against teams from the Southeast Division during his career.

“He made big saves all night and we just didn't have an answer,'' said Weiss, who had five of Florida's shots. “We'll regroup and hopefully have the same effort against San Jose, just get some bounces. We had great chances all night. They just weren't going in. The other night in Carolina we didn't have our best game by any means, but we got a bounce and won the game.''

Defenseman Mike Weaver says he continues to be encouraged by the Panthers attitude and play on the road. Florida has won eight road games this season – tied for most in the league as of Friday afternoon – and have played well in all but four of its 14 games away from South Florida.

“I would be more upset if we didn't get all those chances,'' Weaver said. “We came out hard and battled. We didn't get the result we wanted, but if we play like that, we're going to be on the positive side most nights.''

FonzsharkSATURDAY: PANTHERS AT SHARKS

When, Where: 10:30 p.m.; HP Pavilion, San Jose, Calif.

TV/Radio: FSN; WQAM-560

The series: San Jose leads 9-7-7

The game: San Jose's 4-3 win over Montreal on Friday snapped a two-game losing streak. Before losing to LandsharkVancouver and Los Angeles, the Sharks had won four straight. .-.-. The Panthers have fared well against San Jose of late, winning the past three meetings. This is Florida's first visit to San Jose since winning on Bryan Allen's overtime goal on March 13, 2010.



Florida Panthers: Without Versteeg, Panthers power play has no oomph

Harvey Fialkov

SAN JOSE Coach Kevin Dineen has often referred to versatile center Stephen Weiss as the, "engine,'' for the Panthers' much improved power play and won-loss record.

However, in Thursday's hard-fought 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings in which the Panthers outshot Los Angeles 42-26, but were 0 for 6 on the power-play, the 'engine' stalled because it didn't have its sparkplug, Kris Versteeg, on the right side.

They did have 13 shots with the extra man, but Kings goalie Jonathan Quick lived up to his surname.

Versteeg, the Panthers leading scorer with 26 points in 24 games, missed his first game of the season after taking an non-penalized elbow to the face in Tuesday's 3-1 victory over the Hurricanes. He participated in Friday afternoon's optional practice in the HP Pavilion and will play Saturday night against the Sharks, who have the 30th-ranked penalty kill at home.

"We haven't been where we want to be as of late,'' said Versteeg, who has four power-play goals. "We're getting enough chances and movement; we just got to get back into the areas to score.

"PK guys are laying their freaking lives on the line just to block a shot, so it's tough to score on the power play. Guys will do whatever it takes to stay in the league with so much money.''

Even with Versteeg, the Panthers' power play has dipped to 15th-ranked efficiency (17.1 percent) as they've had just two power-play goals in their last 27 opportunities (7.4 percent) over six games.

Conversely, the Panthers gave up just their second power-play goal (to Dustin Brown) in their previous nine games (29 of 30).

"After reviewing it, I'd say the non-performance stuck out more than the opportunities we did have,'' Dineen said. "I've been doing a lot of experimenting with the second unit, trying to find [the right mix].

"The power play won us a game in Carolina, but special teams was the difference in the win or loss in LA.''

Dineen confirmed that when veteran forward Mikael Samuelsson returns most likely next week, he will be placed on the second power-play unit.

Panthers make minor trade

The Panthers acquired Lightning center James Wright and defenseman Mike Vernace in exchange for AHL defensemen Mike Kostka and Evan Oberg.

Wright, 21, has five points in 49 career NHL games. Vernace, 25, played 12 games for Colorado in 2008-09 and 10 games this season for Tampa Bay with one career assist.

"James is a big, young forward and Mike is a hard-working defenseman who will start by playing important roles on our AHL team in San Antonio,'' said Panthers assistant GM Mike Santos.

Bergenheim hit clean

Panthers forward Sean Bergenheim delivered a crunching shoulder check to Kings center Mike Richards in the second period that led to double-minors as well as an exta roughing call on Jarrett Stoll.

Richards was on the Flyers two years ago when he caught former Panther David Booth with a blindside shot to the head that resulted in a serious concussion and Rule 48.

Richards didn't return for the third period and was placed on injured reserve on Friday.

"It was almost like having the dirtiest hit on Wayne Gretzky,'' Bergenheim said about the Kings' reaction. "He's a physical player himself and has done some fairly dirty stuff. Actually the Booth hit under today's standard would

probably be a pretty long suspension. The replay showed it was a perfect hit right in the chest.''

The league agreed and no further discipline was meted out.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 12.03.2011


Preview: Panthers vs. Sharks, 10:30 p.m. Saturday

Harvey Fialkov

Panthers at Sharks

When/where: 10:30 p.m./HP Pavilion, San Jose, Calif.

TV: FS-F (HD)

Radio: WQAM-560 and 760-ESPN

Scouting report: The first-place 13-8-4 Panthers are coming off a 2-1 loss to the Kings in which they outshot them 42-26 to fall to 1-2 on the road trip. The Panthers are 0-3-1 when notching 40 shots or more. Without leading scorer Kris Versteeg, they were 0 for 6 on their slumping power play. Versteeg (broken nose) is expected back Saturday. The Panthers have beaten SJS three straight over past three seasons, including 3-2 last February on Jason Garrison's game winner. Panthers F Marco Sturm played his first seven-plus seasons for the Sharks before being traded to Boston for Joe Thornton in 2005. G Jose Theodore is 6-6 with a 2.57 GAA vs. San Jose. The 14-7-1 Sharks have won 7 of 10, including a 4-3 shootout win over Montreal Thursday. SJS has the third-ranked power play (23.3 percent) at home, but the 30th-ranked penalty kill in the Pavilion.



Panthers do everything right except win in 2-1 loss to Kings

Harvey Fialkov

LOS ANGELES

The Panthers outshot, outplayed and out-skated the Los Angeles Kings late Thursday night, but all they got for their efforts was a bitter 2-1 loss at Staples Center.

Both goaltenders put on a clinic, with Kings' Jonathan Quick living up to his surname with several acrobatic saves to outduel Jose Theodore, who kept the Panthers in it with about a dozen spectacular highway-robbery saves.

It certainly didn't help the Panthers chances when their leading scorer Kris Versteeg was scratched due to broken nose sustained in Tuesday's win over the Hurricanes when defenseman Derek Joslin elbowed him in the face.

The Panthers were a dismal 0 for 6 over 9:26, including a 35-second two-man advantage, on their ninth-ranked power play, which was rendered toothless without Versteeg. They were also pelting Quick with shots until the buzzer sounded as they had the extra skater for the final 1:15 with Theodore pulled.

The Kings have killed off 24 straight penalties over the past five-plus games.

"We thoroughly outplayed them,'' said Panthers coach Kevin Dineen. "They were trying to run around and hack us and slash us. When you're getting outplayed as badly as they did, that's their response.

"We walk out of here feeling very good about the way we played and move forward from here. ... Their goalie certainly got them a couple of points and Theo gave us a chance to win.''

The Panthers finished with a 42-26 edge in shots, but still lost their seventh straight (0-6-1) game to the Kings dating back to a win on Nov. 27, 2002 in Los Angeles. It's one off their season high of 43 shots in a shootout loss to the Blackhawks on Nov. 3.

"We deserved a better fate there,'' muttered Panthers GM Dale Tallon after he delivered an upbeat postgame pep talk.

The 16-point shot edge is the Panthers' second largest of the season, behind last week's 18-shot margin in the 2-1 win over the Rangers. Inexplicably, the Panthers are now 0-1-3 in the four games they have had 40 or more shots this season.

"We played a complete game for 60 minutes, but we didn't have an answer,'' said center Stephen Weiss, who had five shots. "They just weren't going in for us. Last game we didn't have our best game and find a way to win. Tonight, we probably had a better night, they just weren't going in.''

The 13-8-4 Panthers are 1-2 on the road trip and need a victory in San Jose on Saturday to gain a split before returning home for a Monday night meeting with the Washington Capitals.

The first-place Panthers, who are coming off their best November ( 7-3-3) since the memorable 1995-96 season (10-2-1), begin December with a spirited dud, but still remain five points ahead of the slumping Capitals in the Southeast Division.

The Kings, also 13-8-4, wasted no time in taking a 1-0 lead just 1:35 into the first period when Jack Johnson's innocent-looking wrist shot from the sideboards caromed off the skate of Panthers defenseman Mike Weaver and past Theodore.

It was Johnson's fifth goal of the season. Center Anze Kopitar got an assist for his 11th point in his last 13 games.

Despite the Panthers outshooting the Kings 23-10 midway throuugh the second, it was Theodore coming up with the point-blank saves to keep it a one-goal deficit. Finally the dam broke, when a two-line pass from Slava Voynov sprung Dustin Brown up ice. He unleashed a rising wrist shot that flew over Theodore's shoulder for a power-play goal and 2-0 Kings' lead at 14:13. Quick even added a rare goalie assist, his second of the season and sixth of his career.

Just 1:26 later, a Kings turnover at the Panthers' blue line gave Erik Gudbranson a clear slap shot that Quick initially stopped, but with Shawn Matthias and Sean Bergenheim buzzing the net, doing the dirty work in front, Bergenheim was able to knock it in to cut the deficit to 2-1 at 15:39.

So in game No. 19 for the 19-year-old rookie, Gudbranson notched his first NHL point. Bergenheim's third goal of the season snapped a 10-game drought.

"Monkey off the back, that was nice,'' Gudbranson said. "We controlled the pace and were in their face the whole game. ... We had a belief for 60 minutes that we were going to win that game. Other than the scoreboard we did.''

Then a fired-up Bergenheim started checking any Kings' player that moved until Mike Richards and Jarret Stoll took umbrage and body-slammed him into the boards. It resulted in all three getting penalized, however, the Panthers came out with a 4-minute power play at 16:52 and a golden opportunity to tie.

It wasn't to be as Quick withstood the charge, leaving the Panthers with just 52 seconds left on the power play to start the third period still down 2-1. Not a good omen as the Kings are now 67-0-4 in the last 71 games that they have a lead heading into the final period.

"He's a huge loss for us but those things happen,'' Weiss said of Versteeg. "We still have to find a way to get the production. But certainly we missed him.''

Richards didn't return in the third period because of an upper-body injury as a result of a clean hit from Bergenheim, who led the team with seven shots. Can you say revenge for the David Booth concussion-causing hit by Richards two years ago?

"It was almost like having the dirtiest hit on Wayne Gretzky,'' Bergenheim joked about the reaction of the Kings on his hit on Richards. "Keep your head up. He's a physical player himself and has done some fairly dirty stuff. Actually the Booth hit under today's standard would probably be a pretty long suspension. It was a perfect hit right in the chest.''


598026 Los Angeles Kings

Next up for the Kings: Saturday vs. Montreal

Lisa Dillman

When: 12:30 p.m.

Where: Staples Center

On the air: TV: FS West. Radio: 1150.

Records: Kings 13-8-4; Montreal 10-11-5

Update: The injuries sustained by center Mike Richards and defenseman Willie Mitchell on Thursday meant forward Dustin Penner (hand) was activated off injured reserve Friday. Defenseman Davis Drewiske, who has appeared in one game this season, will step in for Mitchell, paired with Matt Greene. "I'm not 100%," Penner said. "We'll say 99." Getting the start in goal will be Jonathan Bernier, who has appeared in four games. Injured Alec Martinez has been cleared for contact in practice, Kings Coach Terry Murray said.



Kings' Mike Richards, Willie Mitchell out at least a few games

Lisa Dillman

The Kings' well-founded worries turned into legitimate concerns Friday when center Mike Richards landed on injured reserve and defenseman Willie Mitchell joined him on the sideline.

Though Mitchell was not put on injured reserve, Coach Terry Murray acknowledged both players would miss at least a few games. Summing up the situation, a grim-faced Murray said: "Not good."

The official team line is that Richards has an upper-body injury and Mitchell has a lower-body injury sustained during his first shift Thursday against Florida. The injuries triggered the activation of forward Dustin Penner for the Kings' game Saturday against Montreal.

But the nature of Richards' injury became clearer when Kings President and General Manager Dean Lombardi was asked about the league's quiet-room protocol, in which a player suspected of having sustained a concussion is evaluated by a doctor.

"On the basis of those tests last night, he [Richards] couldn't return," Lombardi said. "Then he had tests again in the morning."

Richards, the team's leading goal scorer, took a hit to his head from Panthers winger Sean Bergenheim late in the second period of the Kings' victory and did not play in the third. League disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan reviewed the hit and the later scrum, which resulted in the Panthers getting a four-minute power play.

The league said Friday it was a full-body check and that "while there was contact with the head, the head was not targeted either intentionally or recklessly."

Therefore, no need for supplementary discipline.

Lombardi and Murray did not dispute that, but Lombardi was still quite upset about the four-minute power play and voiced his displeasure.

"What I didn't like was when our players tried to respond — as they rightly should — after that whole scenario, ends up in a four-minute power play, I think that's the real problem," Lombardi said Friday at practice.

"You want your players to stick up for each other. That's part of the culture of our sport, everything you try to instill, and to have to be subjected to a four-minute penalty kill on that basis, I really struggle with. That's a bigger issue as to the culture of our game, not the call specifically."



Kings put Richards on IR after getting hit in head

Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO - The Kings placed Mike Richards on injured reserve after the star center sustained a hit to the head.

The Kings also activated left wing Dustin Penner from injured reserve Friday.

Coach Terry Murray said Richards will be out for at least a few games after getting hurt late in the second period of the Kings' 2-1 win over Florida on Thursday in a collision with Sean Bergenheim. The NHL won't pursue supplemental discipline against Bergenheim.

Richards is the Kings' second-leading scorer with 20 points in his first season with the Kings.

The Kings didn't place Willie Mitchell on injured reserve, but Murray expects the defenseman to miss several games with a lower-body injury after playing just one first-period shift against the Panthers.

LA Daily News: LOADED: 12.03.2011


Penner gets another chance for good impression

Rich Hammond

Dustin Penner is schedule to be activated from injured reserve and rejoin the Kings’ lineup tomorrow. Yes, really. Terry Murray indicated the same thing in advance of Thursday’s game, but decided that Penner needed more time to recover from his hand injury. Now, it seems, Penner is ready to go, after missing nine consecutive games, and will move into a second-line left-wing role alongside center Jarret Stoll and right winger Justin Williams.

MURRAY: “Penner is ready to go, yes. And I’m certain of that. As far as health-wise and skating, he’s in the best condition that he’s been since he’s been an L.A. King. He’s been through three weeks of hard work, and he has poured a lot into it. He’s skating very well, and that is the demands that I will put on him. … It’s a good opportunity for Penner coming back in. He’s very hungry. He wants to show that he’s a major contributor to this team, so the opportunity starts tomorrow.’’

Both Murray and general manager Dean Lombardi indicated today that Penner is in even better shape now than when he reported to training camp.

MURRAY: “You can tell because he’s in an athletic position when he’s skating now. I think, in the past, post-training camp even, he was out of the lineup with a groin pull after a couple games in Europe, then he has the injury. So there’s a little bit of straight-legged, just kind of walking around the ice more than pushing and jumping into the play and anticipating things. Right now, we’re seeing an athletic base, an athletic player that is pursuing pucks and attacking with the puck. That’s a big, big difference in his body language, to me, than what I saw early in the training camp.’’

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.03.2011


Drewiske gets to play, not watch

Rich Hammond

Davis Drewiske has sat patiently and waited. And waited, and waited. The Kings have played 25 games this season, and Drewiske has been a healthy scratch in 24 of them. Always a quiet, friendly, polite presence in the locker room, Drewiske has gone about his work — countless miles of conditioning skating — without complaint. Now, with Willie Mitchell out of the lineup, Drewiske will get a chance, starting with tomorrow’s game against Montreal, in a defensive pairing with Matt Greene. After practice, Drewiske talked about his journey back into the lineup, before Terry Murray had made it official that Drewiske would play.

DREWISKE: “If I get the call, I’ll be ready to do. I’ve done a lot of work, trying to stay ready, and I’m anxious to get back in there. So I’ll be ready to go if they need me.’’

Question: When you’re getting back in, is it just a matter of keeping things simple out there?

DREWISKE: “I think that’s my game anyway, kind of, to make a good first pass and be hard and physical in front of the net and in the corners. That’s my game.’’

Question: It must be difficult to sit and watch, but is there anything you can learn when you’re out of the lineup?

DREWISKE: “First of all, you just try to be a good pro and work hard every day. I think the real battle is mentally staying connected to the game and everything that’s going on, when you’ve been out for a while. But I definitely try to watch the game pretty intently and focus on what guys are doing, where the mistakes are. I think that’s a good way to keep yourself in touch with what’s going on.’’

How long will Drewiske’s opportunity last? Alec Martinez has been medically cleared for full-contact practice, so it won’t be long before Martinez is ready to play. That said, Murray said he’s looking for all players to step up in the absence of Mitchell and Mike Richards.

MURRAY: “Guys just have to play. There’s no magic to that formula. There’s an opportunity that opens up for some players to get back into the lineup. Other guys just need to take on a little bit more of a workload, especially on Mitchell’s side of it. He’s a big penalty-killer for us. He’s a really good penalty killer, and other guys are going to get an opportunity. It’s a good thing to see, not the fact that you’ve got players injured but it’s good for other players to get put into situations that give them an opportunity to improve their game, to contribute to the team. Because as you get to the deeper part of the season, inevitably there is a call to duty in those situations. So they’ve been there, they know what to do and they react in the right way.’’



Brown returns to right in new look

Rich Hammond

The loss of center Mike Richards to injury and the return of left winger Dustin Penner forced the Kings into more lineup/position shifting today. [UPDATE: Richards has now officially been put on injured reserve and Penner has been activated.] Dustin Brown moved back to right wing, with Simon Gagne and Anze Kopitar. Jarret Stoll, who had been on right wing, moves back to his natural position to center Penner and Justin Williams. That’s not exactly ideal, in two ways. First, losing Richards is a potentially huge blow, but also, Brown had looked increasingly comfortable on left wing, including last night’s outstanding power-play goal. Terry Murray pointed out, though, that Brown’s ability to attack from the left side won’t necessarily vanish now, and agreed that Brown had looked effective on that wing.

MURRAY: “Yeah, and he likes it on the left. I’ve had this conversation with Brownie in the past. He enjoys that, and you see why, from the goal he scored last night. He gets a lot of good looks. But, the one thing playing with Kopi and Gags is that both are very intelligent players, and if Brownie ends up breaking out with possession and he ends up drifting over or attacking from the left side, I think those guys are very capable of reading and making adjustments on their positions.’’

The changes also bring a renewed opportunity for Williams, who had been dropped to the third line. Williams has gone 16 consecutive games without a goal and has three goals in 25 games overall.

MURRAY: “Pressing is the right word. He really wants to score and he really wants to help the team on that side of the game. Most goals scorers and point producers, they look at the stat sheet at the end of the day and say, `Jeez, I didn’t do anything today, no stats.’ But he’s still playing. He’s holding onto the puck, he’s making plays, he’s attacking. He’s doing a lot of good things in the game. Sometimes you just have to back off, take a step back a little bit, and things start to come your way on the offensive side of numbers. It’s easy for me to stand here and say that. It’s hard for a player, who is looked to to put numbers up, to react that way. It will come through. He’s a player who can score. He has shown that throughout his career. You just have to keep going, keep putting pucks to the net. That’s the one thing I like, that is happening right now. He’s putting more pucks to the net in the last two or three games.’’



Lombardi disliked aftermath of Richards hit

Rich Hammond

Florida’s Sean Bergenheim did not face any supplemental discipline from the NHL today for his hit on Mike Richards last night, and the Kings were fine with that. What general manager Dean Lombardi didn’t like, though, was that the Kings ended up with a four-minute penalty kill after teammates stood up for Richards. Bergenheim got only a two-minute roughing penalty, while Richards got roughing and slashing penalties and Jarret Stoll got a roughing penalty. The Kings ended up killing the penalties, but Lombardi was not pleased that the Kings were penalized harshly for their reaction to the hit.

LOMBARDI: “When that scenario ends up in a four-minute power play, I think that’s a real problem. That’s part of the culture of our sport, everything we try to instill, and to have to be subjected to a four-minute penalty kill on that basis, I really struggle with that. And that’s a bigger issue, as to the culture of our game, and not specifically.’’

Officially, the Kings are still calling Richards’ injury an upper-body injury, but Lombardi acknowledged that Richards, after the hit, spent time in the “quiet room’’ mandated for concussion evaluations, and that Richards didn’t return after that and had more tests this morning. Richards is expected to be put on injured reserve, retroactively, tomorrow. Murray said he liked the players’ reaction to the hit on Richards.

MURRAY: “When Richards got hit, that’s the way teams are supposed to respond. They’re supposed to be there for their teammate in a tough situation, and that was determination, I thought, right away. The response was correct.

“The hit was fine. The hit is fine. That’s just a hockey play. There’s a player carrying the puck up the boards and he gets hit. The other one, when it comes over in front of the bench, it’s called. It’s an elbow or a forearm to the head, and they got penalized for that. And that’s where Stolly jumps in and tries to support a teammate. So it was a good, gritty play in that situation.’’

As indicated earlier, Willie Mitchell (lower-body injury) isn’t expected to be put on injured reserve, but Murray did not sound optimistic about Mitchell’s short-term future. Asked about Mitchell and Richards’ status, Murray said, “It’s going to be a few games.’’



Friday practice update

Rich Hammond

Plenty of post-practice stuff to run through…

– Mike Richards will go on injured reserve tomorrow, meaning he will be out at least seven days. Willie Mitchell will not go on injured reserve, but Terry Murray said he fears Mitchell will miss multiple games.

– Both Murray and Dean Lombardi said they didn’t have a problem with Sean Bergenheim’s hit on Richards — there was no fine or suspension — but Lombardi was upset that the Kings ended up on the penalty kill because of the sequence.

– No players are expected to be called up. Dustin Penner will be activated from injured reserve and Davis Drewiske will play. Brad Richardson is also expected to replace Trent Hunter. Alec Martinez has been medically cleared but isn’t yet ready to play.

– Jonathan Bernier will start in goal tomorrow.

– Here’s how the Kings are likely to line up…

Gagne-Kopitar-Brown

Penner-Stoll-Williams

Richardson-Loktionov-Westgarth

Clifford-Fraser-Moreau

Scuderi-Doughty

Johnson-Voynov

Drewiske-Greene


598034 Minnesota Wild

Backstrom hurt, but NHL-leading Wild chases Brodeur, wins again

Michael Russo

Evening from the X, where the Wild, in not the prettiest performance, kept on trucking tonight with a 4-2 win over New Jersey.

All four goalies played, with the Wild chasing future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur in the second-shortest start of his career (8 minutes, 17 seconds), and that’s over 18 years and 1,145 games. On the Wild’s side, Niklas Backstrom sustained a lower body injury that coach Mike Yeo doesn’t believe is serious.

But the Wild will know more on Saturday before its flight to SoCal. Yeo believes Backstrom actually got injured on Zach Parise’s deflected goal 2:54 into the game but remained for the rest of the period. It probably didn’t help matters when David Clarkson fell on him with 2:39 left in the period.

But Josh Harding came in and stopped 22 of 22 shots the last two periods to get the Wild the ‘W,’ although not himself the ‘W.’ Backstrom was credited with the victory because the Wild held a 3-2 lead at the time Harding entered. It’s funny (or sad), but Harding’s suffered three or four losses in games Backstrom’s actually been pulled.

Poor guy, but if you know Harding, he could care less. Also, if you know Harding, you know when he’s not starting by his morning demeanor. Like Friday, he was loose, joking around, making lots of noise, making fun of PR guy Aaron Sickman’s fancy suit vest.

Apparently, Harding does the same thing between periods of games he is not playing. Dany Heatley says Harding usually spends the intermissions in the training room, my guess being so he doesn’t mess up Niklas Backstrom’s focus at his stall.

But when goalie Bob Mason came into the training room during the first intermission to tell Harding to get ready, Heatley said laughing that Harding’s face “instantly changed” to serious.

Well, Harding was awesome, and he had to be because there were several flurries and the Wild spent much of his 40 minutes pinned in the zone because of poor execution, sloppy play in the neutral zone and what coach Mike Yeo and Kyle Brodziak called “soft plays.”

But as usual, the Wild pulled out the win. It has won three in a row, 13 of 17, moved back into first in the NHL and has a six point lead over Vancouver in the Northwest.

As I mentioned, Backstrom will be reevaluated Saturday before the Wild flies to John Wayne Airport. The Wild leaves for a five-game trip, so this not the best timing for the Wild and Backstrom, but the good news is there are no back-to-backs on the road trip strangely enough.

And at this point, Harding has proven to be a confident and capable goalie. He’s 6-2-1 with a 1.96 goals against average and .938 save percentage this season.

As for the game tonight, after Parise scored, Heatley scored a clutch goal and bigtime answer 20 seconds later.

Then Mr. Blue Collar, Kyle Brodziak, scored the first of his two goals. Ilya Kovalchuk, who was a liability all night despite his one goal and six shots, tripped and turned it over to Brodziak. If you watch Wild practices, the coaches preach driving wide with speed and cutting to the net constantly.

That’s just what Brodziak did. He wheeled around Anton Volchenkov, cut to the net and followed his initial shot by scoring on a backhand while falling backward. Work Ethic, as usual for Brodziak, A+.

Brodziak, remember, is in a contract year. He’d ice the game later in the third with a breakaway one game after tying the game and scoring in the shootout. He has eight goals – halfway to his career-high of 16 last year.

Brodziak’s agent’s got to be salivating at this point.

It would be Casey Wellman who would end Brodeur’s night with his third career goal and second career winner. He crashed the net like a lot of his greasy goals in Houston and Matt Cullen’s shot seemed to deflect in off his skate.

That would be all she wrote for Brodeur, whom (#flareference coming up) I’m not so certain I have ever seen get chased. That guy used to roast the Panthers for lunch when I covered them.

Again though, not the greatest game by the Wild.

“We weren’t our best tonight by any means,” Brodziak said. “We definitely had a good start, but everybody knows, and I was definitely guilty of it, we started making soft plays and turning pucks over in areas we definitely can’t do that.

“I think we saw what happens when we do that. We spent a lot more time in our zone than we should have.”

Like I said this morning, this performance was kind of predictable. When I said it was a trap game though this morning, I was thinking loss. If not for Harding and a great start, it would have been.

It’s just the way it goes sometimes when a number of factors add up. Up and back to Edmonton, lots of games lately, long road trip coming up, desperate team who got embarrassed two nights before. It had all the makings for a sloppy, no legs game.

But as bad as the Wild was tonight in terms of execution, the battle level as usual was never a question.

That’s what Yeo liked about it.

“I love the work ethic and the attitude that our guy’s bring,” Yeo said.

And the goaltending, Yeo said, “That’s been really consistent with our team all year, and with that, even in that game tonight, we weren’t our best, but there’s a feeling on the bench that it’s not like we’re just hanging on by the skin of our teeth here. There’s not a sense that we’re in extreme danger because we know that those guys are back there and they’re playing solid.”

I’ll write about this more soon, but the Wild’s depth continues to be impressive.

As Ken Hitchcock said to me a few weeks back, guys are just interchangeable.

Think about it. The first seven or eight weeks, defensemen were dropping like flies, but in came guys like Justin Falk and Nate Prosser and Kris Fredheim. Still, Marek Zidlicky’s out (affecting the power play) and now Falk right after guys like Marco Scandella and Clayton Stoner.

Up front, they’ve been without Guillaume Latendresse for 11 games and counting, now Cal Clutterbuck.

But in comes Casey Wellman to the second line, and he flashes speed and skill tonight, good play with the puck and a goal. On the fourth line the last few games, David McIntyre. In tonight, Cody Almond.

The Wild has depth, and again, these aren’t the high-end guys, like Mikael Granlund, who is lighting up Finland, and Johan Larsson and Brett Bulmer and Zack Phillips. These aren’t the high-end college guys, like Charlie Coyle and Jason Zucker and Erik Haula, who all had huge games tonight.

It’s just impressive and again gives all Wild fans reason for optimism down the road. You’ve got to love it when the best days of this organization are ahead, and this is a team who has the most points in the NHL right now.

Pretty doggone good, as Bobby Bowden would say.

What else?

Zach Parise, the former Shattuck-St. Mary’s star and Minnesota native, had a strong, workmanlike game. He scored a goal, an assist, had eight shots and he battled in all three zones -- almost as if he was auditioning for the Wild.

Parise is an unrestricted free agent next summer, and if he gets there, it would not be surprising if the Wild pursued him.

What else?

-- Backstrom had his fifth assist in 299 games.

--Mikko Koivu’s seven-game point streak ended.

--Mike Lundin and Greg Zanon had 13 of the Wild’s 24 blocked shots

--Brodziak scored goals in consecutive games for the first time since 2009-10

--Five of Heatley’s seven goals have been the Wild’s first of a game

--The Wild won for an NHL-best 10th time when the opposition scores first BUT it wasn’t a one-goal game (darn Brodziak ruined it with the sweet breakaway tally).

--The Wild is 16-1 when allowing two goals or fewer, 0-6-3 when giving up three or more.

The Wild will not practice before its flight Saturday, and I have a flight in the morning to LA. But I should talk to Yeo in the morning by phone and I should have Internet on the long flight, so I’ll update the blog and my Twitter (www.twitter.com/russostrib) with Wild news and Niklas Backstrom and other injury updates when I know them.

Talk to you in the morning or from the O.C.

Star Tribune LOADED: 12.03.2011


STAR TRIBUNE'S THREE STARS

MICHAEL RUSSO

1. Josh Harding, Wild: In relief of injured Niklas Backstrom, he stopped 22 shots in the final 40 minutes. He has a 1.96 goals-against average and .938 save percentage this season.

2. Kyle Brodziak, Wild: Go-ahead goal and cinching goal for eighth two-goal game.

3. Zach Parise, Devils: Like the potential free agent was auditioning for the Wild, one goal, one assist, eight shots.

By THE NUMBERS

5 Assists for Backstrom in 299 games.

13 Shots blocked by Mike Lundin and Greg Zanon.

10 Wild wins when the opposition scores first (first in NHL).



Goals and goalies aplenty in wild Wild win

MICHAEL RUSSO

If Jacques Lemaire was watching at home with his feet up in western Florida (not bloody likely), you can bet the defensive whiz's reaction was his famous, "Oh ... my ... Lord."

The first Wild-Devils game in history without Lemaire on one of the two benches began as a crazy, up-and-down, atypical offensive affair for two normally non-offensive teams.

There were five first-period goals -- four in the first 8 minutes, 17 seconds -- before things predictably settled down on the way to a 4-2 Wild victory at Xcel Energy Center.

"I think both teams were kind of surprised the way that started, and good thing we were on top," said Dany Heatley, whose goal 20 seconds after Zach Parise opened the scoring was the first of three Wild goals in a span of 5:03.

The Wild, which got another two big goals from blue-collar forward Kyle Brodziak, won for a 13th time in 17 games and leapfrogged Pittsburgh again for the top spot in the NHL. Minnesota now owns a six-point lead in the Northwest Division, its largest of the season.

New Jersey coach Pete DeBoer called time after Casey Wellman chased Martin Brodeur from the net for the second-shortest outing of his future Hall of Fame career (8:17). From there, though, it was all Devils, all the time.

But the Wild could especially thank Josh Harding, who relieved starter Niklas Backstrom to open the second period because of a "lower body injury." The Wild looked disjointed the last 40 minutes. It executed poorly, was pinned in its zone and was outshot 31-16 for the game (22-10 the last two periods).

But Harding stopped all 22 shots he faced. Coach Mike Yeo doesn't believe Backstrom's injury is "extremely serious," but with the Wild leaving Saturday for a five-game trip, Harding could be seeing a lot more action.

"You've got to be ready as a backup goalie whenever they give you the chance," said Harding, who wasn't credited with the victory because the Wild led 3-2 when he entered the game. "Backy's put the bar pretty high that I've got to step in there and do the job."

Backstrom was beaten on two deflections -- one by Parise, one when Ilya Kovalchuk's shot ricocheted off defenseman Mike Lundin's stick.

Between those goals, Heatley tied it right away. Then, after Kovalchuk fell and coughed the puck up to Brodziak, the center drove wide of Anton Volchenkov, cut to the net and scored on his own rebound.

"There's second and third efforts on that goal all over the place," Yeo said. "He doesn't score on the first one, he's falling down, he's still whacking at it."

Only 82 seconds later, Matt Cullen's shot deflected in off Wellman's toe after he crashed the net. Brodeur is 39. He has played 18 years. He has played 1,145 games. He has only been chased quicker once.

"We earned that," Yeo said.

Backstrom played the rest of the first, but he had been hurting since Parise's goal 2:54 in. It didn't help when David Clarkson fell on him late.

Between periods, Harding was being his typical self -- fooling around in the trainer's room -- when goalie coach Bob Mason entered to tell him to get ready.

His face "instantly changed," said Heatley, laughing.

But Harding entered coolly, played on "adrenaline," he said, and stoned the Devils at every turn.

"I'm not a goalie, but coming in cold like that, that's got to be an unbelievably tough job," said Brodziak, who iced the game late in the third with a breakaway goal. "It was awesome how he came in and really held fort for us."

It wasn't a pretty win by any means, but as usual, Greg Zanon said, "We keep finding a way to get the job done. ... We'll just keep riding this wave as long as we can."



Casey Wellman moves up, gets first goal

MICHAEL RUSSO

One Cal Clutterbuck injury meant a different-looking Wild lineup during Friday's 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils.

With Clutterbuck day-to-day because of a thigh injury, Devin Setoguchi moved back to the top line with Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley, and Casey Wellman finally got his chance to play on a scoring line.

Scratched Wednesday in Edmonton and typically put into a fourth-line role whenever called up by the Wild, the former college sharp-shooter who has broken out offensively with the Houston Aeros this season (11 goals in 20 games) played left wing with Matt Cullen and Pierre-Marc Bouchard.

If the smaller Wellman is going to stick in the NHL, it likely has to be as a scorer. But to be a top-liner, he must shoot more than he did during a subpar preseason and flash the skill and speed that was so touted when he signed out of Massachusetts in 2010.

He got things started against the Devils with his third career goal, which was his second career game-winner.

"It's nice that his name ended up on the scoresheet, but even if he didn't score that goal, I thought he played a good game," coach Mike Yeo said. "That's really important to me. I thought his speed was very noticeable out there. I thought he was on the puck, made strong plays with the puck."

Darroll Powe, who didn't play in the third period in Edmonton because of a charleyhorse, surprisingly played, but Yeo still wanted to see Cody Almond, called up Thursday, play. That meant David McIntyre was scratched.

Almond played nine minutes, skated well and was solid on the penalty kill.

He played for Yeo last year in Houston and was 25 pounds heavier. Yeo suggested he shed weight because he needed to be quicker to "make the jump to the NHL," Almond said. But all that offseason running knocked his hips out of alignment, which resulted in him missing training camp because of back pain.

"It was bad timing, it was pretty frustrating at the time," said the 22-year-old Almond, who played his 16th NHL game. "But I'm healthy now and feel better than I did before the injury."

Not OK with check

Clutterbuck hoped to play Friday, but when he skated on his own before the morning skate he still experienced pain. Clutterbuck was injured Wednesday when Edmonton's Ryan Whitney extended his knee and tripped him, an uncalled infraction Clutterbuck said wasn't "clean."

Whitney never faced an NHL disciplinary hearing.

"It would be nice to kind of have guys be held accountable for those things, but obviously somebody felt it wasn't necessary," Clutterbuck said. "I just [wonder] if that happens to Sidney Crosby, what kind of uproar is there?"

Lemaire-less

Friday's game was the first Wild-Devils game in history without now-retired Jacques Lemaire coaching one of the two teams.

"He was a mastermind, and I feel fortunate to have been coached by him," said defenseman Nick Schultz, who has played 707 games. "He's one of the best, and really taught me a lot about the defensive game, like having a good stick -- stick in the lane, stick on puck, being in proper position.

"These are things coming up as a young player you didn't know how to do properly."

Injury update

Yeo expects Clutterbuck and defenseman Justin Falk (upper body) to travel on the upcoming five-game road trip, but concussed players Guillaume Latendresse (out 11 games) and Marek Zidlicky (eight games) remain out indefinitely. They are skating lightly on their own but haven't been cleared for full workouts.

"It's just going slowly," Yeo said.



Wild knock out Brodeur in 1st, beat Devils 4-2

Staff Writer

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Wild have played from behind so much this season they have almost forgotten what it is like to be ahead.

After scoring three goals on four shots, and sending New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur to the bench, the Wild spent way more time in their zone than they wanted.

But in what has become the story of this season, Minnesota found a way to win and held off the Devils 4-2 on Friday night.

Behind the relief goaltending effort of Josh Harding and a pair of goals from Kyle Brodziak, the Wild won their third game in a row and eighth of 10 outings. Minnesota (16-7-3) jumped ahead of idle Pittsburgh atop the NHL standings with 35 points.

"We had a great start, something we haven't had a lot of lately. The place was rocking," Wild coach Mike Yeo said. "I do think that when you score three goals like that — bang, bang, bang — it is a little tough to keep your focus and your same mentality."

The Wild gave much of the credit for this victory to Harding.

Niklas Backstrom (10-5-2) started the game and played the first period for the Wild. But he sustained an undisclosed lower body injury and was unable to continue.

Despite coming in cold, Harding stopped all 22 shots he faced and kept the Devils (12-11-1) from tying the game. Yeo said Backstrom's injury was "nothing extremely serious," but more will be known Saturday.

"I thought (Harding) was great," Yeo said. "They had some real flurries, some real scrambles around our net, and he stood tall."

Harding, who might play more on Minnesota's five-game road trip if Backstrom is out, said he was simply doing his job.

"You've got to be ready as a backup goalie when they give you a chance," Harding said. "Backy has put the bar pretty high and I've got to step in there and do the job."

While the Devils outplayed Minnesota for most of the final 50 minutes, New Jersey was undone early for the second consecutive game.

Dany Heatley, Brodziak and Casey Wellman scored in a 3:03 span of the first period to turn an early Wild deficit into a 3-1 lead and knock Brodeur out of the game just 8:17 in. After Wellman tipped Matt Cullen's shot past Brodeur, first-year Devils coach Pete DeBoer had seen enough and yanked Brodeur for the first time this season.

"It's been two games now with a tough start," Brodeur said. "The puck doesn't seem to want to hit me or anything. So it's definitely disappointing for me. I'm going to get right back at it to try and have a better performance, but it is what it is."

Brodeur (5-7) has struggled recently, giving up three goals earlier in the week in a loss to the New York Islanders and allowing six in a loss at Colorado on Wednesday. Brodeur didn't return to the Devils bench after being pulled, but both he and DeBoer said that was because of a lack of space on the visitors bench.

DeBoer made the move to give his team a spark.

"I looked at the goals, I don't think he could have really done much on them," DeBoer said. "It was the second game in a row that we've started with three goals on five or six shots so I think everybody has to take responsibility, including me, for not coming out of the gate better."

The 12 goals are the most given up by Brodeur in a three-game span since he allowed 13 in three games and 20 in six games last December. This marked Brodeur's second-shortest outing of his career, just longer than his eight-minute stint at Carolina on Jan. 1.

"You can't say you play well when you allow three goals in eight minutes or so," Brodeur said. "But you look at the quality of the goals I got scored, it was not like I was weak or anything. The puck just doesn't hit me."

Hedberg, who made 11 saves, shut down the Wild until late in the third period. With both teams playing a man down, Brodziak gave the Wild a 4-2 lead at 16:24. Brodziak picked up a loose puck at center ice, drove to the net and beat Hedberg on the glove side.

"We weren't at our best, but we found a way to win," Brodziak said. "I think we've got to recognize what happened, and the main thing was starting to make softer plays that we haven't been making all year."

Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk scored for the Devils, who left frustrated.

"I thought we deserved better tonight," Parise said. "We played much better than we did in Colorado, but we just hit a tough little stretch there where we gave them all three of them."

NOTES: Wild RW Cal Clutterbuck sat out after taking a knee to the thigh Wednesday at Edmonton. ... This was Minnesota's last home game before a five-game trip that begins Sunday at Anaheim. ... Backstrom was credited with his fifth career assist on Heatley's first-period goal. ... New Jersey RW Dainius Zubrus was in the lineup despite being struck by a puck on his right ankle Wednesday. He missed practice on Thursday. ... Devils D Andy Green returned to the lineup after missing Wednesday's loss at Colorado with a lower-body injury. ... Hedberg is expected to start in goal on Saturday when the Devils play at Winnipeg.



Clutterbuck out tonight vs. Devils

Michael Russo

Good early afternoon from the X, where tonight for the first time in history, there will be a Wild-Devils game without Jacques Lemaire on one of the two benches

Mike Yeo vs. Pete DeBoer tonight

Just an fyi, I'll be on Hockey Night in Canada radio with Elliotte Friedman and Tim Wharnsby -- two giants in the industry -- at 4 p.m. CT/5 p.m. ET on Sirius 157.

Cal Clutterbuck, one of the Wild's most consistent forwards during its hot stretch, will miss tonight's game against the Devils with a muscle injury on his left leg after Wednesday's blatant extension of his knee by Edmonton's Ryan Whitney (no penalty, no hearing).

Luckily, Whitney hit Clutterbuck's thigh and not his knee.

Clutterbuck skated on his own this morning and it wasn't good enough. He is expected to travel but is worried what the plane ride will do to the injury in terms of swelling, etc.

Lot of questions by readers/tweeters if Whitney faced a disciplinary hearing. He did not, I guess, because it wasn't catastrophic for Clutterbuck. Same reason why Erik Johnson didn't face a hearing for his beyond-obvious attempt to decapitate Matt Cullen last month.

Maybe if you want to curb behavior, intent and not just result should matter.

"It's not a clean play. First of all, I didn't have the puck. Secondly, it was a clearly a motion toward sticking a knee out," Clutterbuck said. "It's frustrating, but there's nothing I can do about it. I'm more focused on getting back, but it's frustrating."

I'm not saying Clutterbuck's an angel, but he typically hits fair and clean. Is he late sometimes? Yes. Does he hit hard? Yes. Maybe it's because he's a heavy hitter, maybe it's because he has a reputation for embellishing, but it certainly seems he doesn't get a fair shake at times from officials. This is the same league where a few years ago, former disciplinarian Colie Campbell basically said he didn't suspend Sergei Gonchar for his obvious head shot on Clutterbuck because Clutterbuck leads the league in hits.

"There's got to be a little bit of passion in the game," Campbell said on NHL Live a few years back. "Cal Clutterbuck leads the league, or is close to leading the league, in hits. He hit Gonchar very hard into the boards prior to that -- real hard. It could have been boarding. It could have been charging. It wasn't. So Gonchar, who's been hurt before, knocked out before and suffered a concussion -- he's on the receiving end more than he's on the giving end ... -- he went in and it was a five-minute interference penalty and he hit him with his shoulder."

Now, I am aware James Wisniewski was nailed for an eight-game suspension for his elbow at Clutterbuck in the preseason. But lately, how many times has Clutterbuck gotten hit from behind this season and wasn't given the benefit of the doubt? Six, seven. The other night he's clearly kneed and nothing happens from the refs. The other night he's clearly kneed and there's no uproar from any out-of-town media. Just completely ignored.

"I don't know really what to say about that," Clutterbuck said. "It would be nice to kind of have guys be held accountable for those things, but obviously somebody felt it wasn't necessary. I just [wonder] if that happens to Sidney Crosby, what kind of uproar is there? That's my issue in the whole thing. It depends who it happens to."

In other words, Clutterbuck's saying, if Whitney sticks his knee out in the most blatant, obvious way like he did the other night to Crosby, you know it would be splashed across TSN/Sportsnet/Versus, be talked about by the national outlets, etc. But it happens to Clutterbuck and, as is often the case, the Wild, and there's no attention given.

Onward. Devin Setoguchi will return to the No. 1 line in Clutterbuck's spot, and Casey Wellman will skate with Cullen and Pierre-Marc Bouchard

tonight. This is Wellman's big chance that so many fans have been clamoring for.

Wellman's been scoring a lot in the minors, but every time he's up with the Wild the past few years, he gets fourth-line duty. Now he'll get significant minutes and be back on the No. 1 power play.

Darroll Powe will play tonight after being checked awkwardly into the door in Edmonton.

That means Cody Almond, Colton Gillies or David McIntyre will be scratched.

The coaching staff had "about four different opinions," Yeo said, about who comes out. Yeo indicated he wants to see Cody Almond play.

Yeo was a minor-league fighter. Yeo is the head coach, the decision-maker. I'll bet anything he wins that arm-wrestling match.

You know Brad Staubitz is playing with Cam Janssen playing, so who comes out?

Gillies did not play well in Edmonton one game after being scratched. But I still think Yeo wants to give him one more game to play like the Gillies in Houston -- fast, go to the net, aggressive, physical. He had one scoring chance but did not play like that in Edmonton.

McIntyre's been good and fast. He played in the final minute the other night, showing he's trusted by the coaching staff, although that was mostly because they were down to nine forwards and the first line was gassed.

My guess is, only because I think the coaching staff would like to give Gillies another chance, McIntyre comes out and Almond plays alongside Gillies and Staubitz. But Gillies needs to rediscover his game. It's been a tough transition for the kid after playing 18-20 minutes a night in Houston and having to play 9 in Minnesota. But that's his lot in life now if he wants to be an NHLer.

Like he said at the beginning of the year, if he's got to be a fourth-liner, he's got to be the best fourth-liner imaginable.

As for Almond, the center is a lot lighter than last year, losing 25 pounds of mostly muscle. This was an offseason instruction by Yeo, who told him he had to gain a step to play at the NHL level. And ironically, that's how he got hurt. A lot of running knocked his hips out of alignment, he said, so he had back pain all of training camp.

Niklas Backstrom will start. Yeo expects Justin Falk and Clutterbuck to travel tomorrow for the four-game trip (Wild comes home for a day between Phoenix and Winnipeg), but not Marek Zidlicky or Guillaume Latendresse. They've been skating a little on their own but not cleared for full workouts. It's coming slow.

I asked about the power play this morning, and Yeo was obviously not happy with the 5-on-3 the other night. He said they need to be more aggressive, a different approach and mindset.

"We're just slow to move the puck and slow around the perimeter and not aggressive to the net," Yeo said.

So he said there will be a different look on the next 5-on-3, but it sounds like the power-play units will be the same tonight -- except for Clutterbuck being out. Nick Johnson should see power-play time tonight, as well as Wellman.

I think he needs to mess with the point guys, moving Matt Cullen and/or Marco Scandella to the No. 1 unit and taking Bouchard and Jared Spurgeon on the No. 2 (or moving Bouchard to the half wall). Spurgeon is having a lot of trouble keeps pucks in and both seem hesitant to shoot. Cullen and Scandella are not.

But the No. 2 unit has been playing well and generating chances and Yeo said the first unit "should take a page out of their book as far as how they've been attacking the net." So right now, the personnel on the first unit stays the same.

As for the Devils, Yeo expects a "grumpy" group tonight after they were smoked in Colorado. Martin Brodeur will start and banged-up Dainius Zubrus and Andy Greene will play.

This is one of those trap games, in my opinion. The Wild goes to an up and back in Edmonton. It spends the night, which is not normally the routine. It has a 3 p.m. practice yesterday, which is not normally the routine. It's playing an angry opponent vowing to redeem itself. It has a long road trip on the horizon.

Often, the home team lacks legs in a game like this. Yeo knows it and was trying to caution his team against it this morning by telling them they must be ready.

We will see. Talk to you tonight.



Josh Harding flawless as Wild relief goalie

Bruce Brothers

The Wild were leading 3-2 after one period, and Josh Harding was joking around in the training room when goalie coach Bob Mason walked in and informed him that starting goaltender Niklas Backstrom was hurt.

Forward Dany Heatley, who observed the exchange, held his palm in front of his smiling face and dropped it, revealing his version of Harding's instantaneous stoic game face.

"The smile goes right off his face," Heatley said, "and he's ready to go right away."

No question.

The backup goaltender stepped in at the beginning of the second period and faced 12 second-period shots and 10 in the third period.

He stopped them all.

That enabled the Wild to defeat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 for their third consecutive victory and 13th in their past 17 games. The win, courtesy of Harding's performance plus two goals by Kyle Brodziak, raised the Wild's record to 16-7-3 and put them back into the overall lead in the NHL with 35 points, one more than Pittsburgh and two ahead of Detroit.

Backstrom stopped two of nine first-period shots but suffered what coach Mike Yeo speculated was a minor lower-body injury.

No problem.

The Devils, angry at their play in a 6-1 loss at Colorado two nights earlier, kept coming and the Wild kept relying on Harding to bail them out.

The Wild might have been clinging to a 3-2 lead until late in the third period, Yeo said, but there was no sense of real danger.

"Because we know that they're back there," he said of his two

goalies.

The defenders stay calm and players don't run around, Yeo said, "and a big reason for that is because we have the confidence in our goaltenders to be there if we need 'em."

New Jersey outshot the Wild 9-6, 12-6 and 10-4 in the three periods to finish with a 31-16 advantage.

Backstrom, who left when it was 3-2, got the win and Harding lowered his goals-against average to 1.96 and his save percentage to .938.

And he did it in an uncharacteristic way.

If he's starting, Harding does not talk to the media on the day of a game. But with Backstrom starting, he was chatting and laughing with reporters after the Wild's morning skate.

Brodziak shook his head over Harding's ability to gain instant focus.

"Unbelievable," Brodziak said. "I'm not a goalie, but coming in cold like that, that's got to be an unbelievably tough job. He was awesome, coming in and the way he held the fort for us."

"It's not easy," Harding said. "The adrenaline takes over."

Brodziak did much of the work at the other end of the ice.

The veteran of four NHL seasons who scored a career-high 16 goals last season tallied his seventh and eighth in 26 games to move into a tie with Matt Cullen and Devin Setoguchi for the team lead in goals. In the first period he skated around Devils defender Anton Volchenkov and then flipped in the rebound of his own shot to put the Wild ahead 3-2.

"Second and third efforts all around," Yeo said.

In the third period, with just 3:36 remaining and the Wild ahead by a goal, Brodziak set sail on a four-on-four breakaway to make Harding's job a little easier.

Not that the 27-year-old in the beginning of an amazing comeback season needed much help.

The Devils' Zach Parise, who had a goal and an assist for the evening, got off two close-in shots on goal with just over five minutes remaining that Harding stopped. The Devils' Adam Henrique pounced on the second rebound from point-blank range, but Harding was there for that one, too.

"The puck hit me," Harding said. "I tried to get in position as good as possible."

It worked.

Pioneer Press LOADED: 12.03.2011


Wild 4, Devils 2: Minnesota puts three quick goals past Martin Brodeur

Bruce Brothers

The Wild's Darroll Powe, right, and Nick Johnson celebrate with Kyle Brodziak, center, following Brodziak's first-period goal against New Jersey on Friday, Dec. 2, 2011. (Pioneer Press: Joe Michaud-Scorza)

RECAP: Minnesota scored three goals on its first four shots and defeated New Jersey for its third consecutive win Friday night in front of 17,310 at the Xcel Energy Center.

Minnesota native Zach Parise had the opening goal and assisted on New Jersey's second goal, but the Wild scored three times in 4 minutes, 3 seconds between those goals to take a 3-2 first-period lead. Dany Heatley scored at 4:14, Kyle Brodziak at 6:55 and Casey Wellman at 8:17 for the Wild.

Brodziak netted his eighth goal of the season and second of the night at 16:24 of the third period to make it 4-2.

MEANING: The Wild have won 13 of their past 17 games and head off on a five-game road trip atop the Western Conference.

ETC.: After giving up three goals in 8:17 of the first period, Devils goalie Martin Brodeur was replaced by Johan Hedberg. It was the second-quickest hook for Brodeur in his career. ... The Wild replaced Nik Backstrom, who had a lower-body injury, with Josh Harding to start the second period, and Harding stopped all 22 shots he faced.

UP NEXT: at Ducks, 7 p.m. Sunday, FSN, KFXN-FM 100.3



Wild's Cal Clutterbuck says NHL is giving him no respect

Bruce Brothers

Wild forward Cal Clutterbuck is getting ticked off about what might be perceived as a lack of respect from the NHL.

Clutterbuck, who missed Friday night's victory over the New Jersey Devils at the Xcel Energy Center because of a severe charley horse, was knocked to the ice when the Edmonton Oilers' Ryan Whitney got him in the thigh with a knee Wednesday night. Whitney caught Clutterbuck just above the left knee, sending him sprawling near the Minnesota goal crease in pain.

There was no penalty on Whitney, and the NHL did not hold a hearing about the hit.

"It's not a clean play. First of all, I didn't have the puck," Clutterbuck said Friday morning, adding that Whitney stuck his knee out. "It's against the rules. It'd be nice to have guys be held accountable for those things, but obviously somebody felt that it wasn't necessary."

Clutterbuck noted that if he had been hit two inches lower, a severe knee injury might have resulted.

The NHL's leading hitter the past three seasons and a fan favorite in Minnesota, Clutterbuck plays a sometimes-antagonizing style that makes him unpopular in some circles around the league. If a star had been injured on a similar play, he wondered, would the league have investigated the hit?

"If that happens to Sidney Crosby, what kind of uproar is there?" Clutterbuck said. "That's my issue with the whole thing. It just depends who it happens to."

Last March, Clutterbuck received a concussion when he was checked from

behind by Trevor Gillies of the New York Islanders, who got no additional penalty from the league. The concussion kept Clutterbuck out of the lineup for four games, and he said at that time the NHL erred by not tacking on a suspension.

Clutterbuck's toughness probably works against him in these cases: Against the Islanders, he stayed in the game after he was hit, and in Edmonton, he hobbled off the ice late in the first period but tried to play in the second before his leg buckled and he knew his night was over.

"It was painful," he said.

There was still plenty of pain when he skated Friday morning, and the leg was not up to allowing him to play against the Devils.

Coach Mike Yeo said Clutterbuck will accompany the Wild on their road trip, which begins Sunday night against the Ducks in Anaheim. His status is listed as day to day.

Powe returns: Darroll Powe, who was knocked into an open door at the Oilers' bench Wednesday night and also suffered a charley horse, skated in practice Friday morning and was back in the lineup against New Jersey.

"Things healed up pretty quick," Powe said. "I'm definitely happy to be back. One day being out seems like a long time."

That was good news for Yeo, because the line of Kyle Brodziak, Nick Johnson and Powe has been one of Minnesota's most consistent at both ends of the ice lately.

Defenseman Justin Falk sat out with an upper-body injury. Yeo said it's not serious, and Falk was not even listed among those sidelined by injury in the game notes. He was in obvious pain after Sunday's 5-2 loss to Calgary, however.

Briefly: Forward David McIntyre was Minnesota's healthy scratch, making room for forward Cody Almond. Almond, who suffered a back injury in training camp, was unable to practice until he was sent to the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League to work himself back into shape. He was called up Thursday.


598043 Montreal Canadiens

Forbes: Habs worth $445 million

Posted by Stu Hackel

Forbes Magazine’s annual NHL team valuations have been published and the Canadiens are listed as the league’s third most valuable franchise, worth $445 million US, up from their 2010 value of $408 million.

As was the case last year, the Habs are third in the league behind the Maple Leafs ($521 million) and the Rangers ($507 million).

Forbes adds that the team’s annual revenue was $165 million, up $2 million from last year. They had an operating income (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of $47.7 million, which is down from $53.1 million the previous year, perhaps due in part to the shorter playoff run in 2010 than 2009, but largely to the escalation in salaries they paid. The player costs for this year’s study are $64 million, for last year they were $55 million. (Neither of those figures matches what some of the websites that track player salaries list as the Habs’ payroll, for some reason).

Forbes’ profile of the Canadiens reads: “By selling out the Bell Centre every year since the 2004-05 lockout, the Canadiens continue to be among the most profitable teams in the NHL. Montreal earns nearly $3 million per game at the arena from tickets, suites and concessions. The Canadiens also boast a lucrative local television deal and post among the league’s highest ratings every season. The Molson family repurchased 80% of the Canadiens in 2009 from George Gillett (Molson Breweries retained 20% of the team and the Bell Centre when it sold the assets in 2001). The enterprise value of the team, arena and a concert-production business was $575 million. The Canadiens have won a record 24 Stanley Cups.”

But all is not rosy in the NHL, the magazine believes.

Higher player costs is a main point of the Forbes study of the NHL’s business. Team values are at an all-time high, writes Michael Ozanian in the main essay, $240 million, 5 percent more than last year. But player costs increased 11 percent league-wide which, he says, brings about the drop in operating income.

“Last season 18 of the league’s 30 teams lost money even before they had to pay bank loans or write down assets, compared with 16 the prior year,” he writes.

And the consequence of that could mean trouble next fall: “The league’s salary cap, set at 57 percent of revenue, is too high for some teams to be profitable,” he writes. “As a result, expect the National Hockey League to undergo a cantankerous labor negotiations when the owners and players union begin to hammer our a new collective bargaining agreement to replace the current six-year deal that expires in September. The NHL must move much closer to the 48 percent model the NFL agreed to before this season or the 50-50 revenue split National Basketball Association’s owners and players recently agreed to.”

It’s too soon to tell whether this will translate into a work stoppage next fall. These are Forbes’ figures, not the ones that will be in front of the owners and players at the bargaining table. In fact, last month Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported the NHLPA is contesting the NHL’s revenue figures.

Keep in mind the players took a 20 percent pay cut at the end of the lockout six years ago and was forced to accept the salary cap. If Forbes is right and the NHL demands another salary rollback this time, how will the players react?

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.03.2011

598044 Montreal Canadiens

Markov's waiting game

By PAT HICKEY, The GazetteDecember 3, 2011 3:09 AM

The decision on when Andrei Markov will return to the Canadiens' lineup is in the hands of one man - Andrei Markov.

When head coach Jacques Martin was asked about Markov's availability for the current road trip, he suggested that if it was his decision, Markov would be playing. The backbone of the Canadiens' defence has been checked out by doctors. He has been skating with his teammates for the past month, and he received clearance for contact two weeks ago.

Why the delay? Only Markov knows the answer to that, but there may be some clues in his return from similar knee surgery a year ago. On that occasion, Markov was back after seven months on the shelf and seemed to have set a date in mind for his return. The fact he reinjured his knee after playing only seven games led to speculation he returned too soon. With that in mind, Markov seems determined to make sure he feels the knee is 100 per cent healed this time, and he has taken nearly a year to recover.

When the Canadiens flew to San Jose this week, Markov stayed in the Los Angeles area and consulted with another doctor to seek assurances he was ready.

Martin said the defenceman wouldn't play Saturday afternoon against the Los Angeles Kings because he hasn't skated for three days, and that means the earliest return would be Tuesday, when the Canadiens are home to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Markov would have had two days of skating.

Nobody should be able to tell a player when he should return from an injury, but there's a good reason why Markov should be back on the ice in the coming week.

It isn't because he owes something to his teammates, who have kept the Canadiens close to a playoff spot in his absence. Nobody will admit Markov's absence has been a distraction, but it has to be in the back of everyone's mind that - while a healthy Markov won't cure all the Canadiens' ills - the defence will be better and so will the anemic power play. It means Yannick Weber can concentrate on being Mark Streit Light, that Tomas Plekanec won't be wasting his time on the point on power plays, and Alexei Emelin can be tutored on the finer points of the game in his own language.

And it isn't because Markov feels a debt to the Canadiens, who showed their faith in his recuperative powers in the off-season when they signed him to a three-year deal worth $17.25 million.

Markov should return because he owes it to himself. He's a man of few words, but you can hear the passion in his voice when he expresses his frustration over not playing. You could see the joy in his expression the day he rejoined his teammates at practice.

Hockey is a major part of his life and, while there will be some anxiety the first time he steps on the ice for a game, the only way to know he's ready is to test the knee in battle.

phickey@ montrealgazette.com

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.03.2011

598045 Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators give minor-league coach his chance

Josh Cooper

IAN HERBERS

Born: July 18, 1967.

NHL playing career: Selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the 10th round of the 1987 NHL draft. The defenseman played 65 total NHL games with the Oilers, Lightning and Islanders, and registered five assists.

Previous coaching stops: Associate coach with the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit (2004-07). Head coach with the East Coast Hockey League’s Johnstown Chiefs (2007-09). Assistant coach with the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals (2009-11)

It’s much easier now for Ian Herbers than it was three years ago.

As head coach of the East Coast Hockey League’s Johnstown Chiefs, he had to do everything. And by everything, he means all functions surrounding the team.

“From travel to housing to video to practices and games,” Herbers said. “That has helped prepare me for this situation.”

Now the new coach of the Milwaukee Admirals in the American Hockey League has help, from interim assistant Martin Gelinas to General Manager and Predators assistant GM Paul Fenton, to the parent organization in Nashville.

Herbers has paid his dues long enough to have people to fall back on.

“It’s nice having the support,” Herbers said.

He didn’t expect to become coach of the Admirals so soon. On Monday, Coach Kirk Muller bolted Nashville’s AHL affiliate to become head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. Muller had taken over the Admirals after the Predators promoted Lane Lambert to Nashville last summer.

Fortunately for the Predators, a prolonged search for Muller’s replacement was not needed. They already had someone on site in Herbers. No interim tag was placed in front of his new title.

“Had it not been for Kirk Muller’s availability, Ian would have been coach when we promoted Lane,” Predators GM David Poile said. “There’s no hesitation now in hiring him as the head coach, from myself to Barry Trotz and Paul Fenton, Marty Gelinas, all the people who work with Ian on a regular basis. We are very happy to have him as head coach in Milwaukee.”

Last summer, when the Predators moved Lambert from Milwaukee to Nashville, Herbers was considered the favorite to replace him. After two years as Lambert’s top assistant, Herbers had paid his dues.

But Muller, who was considered a hot coaching candidate for NHL jobs over the summer, expressed interest. The Predators went with Muller, and Herbers continued in his role as an assistant.

He was disappointed, but knew he needed to continue to bring a positive attitude to the job, and help Muller, who had never spent time in the AHL as a player or a coach.

“I took it in stride and helped him out with the league and shared my experiences with him,” Herbers said. “It was beneficial for him to come in. Even though it was a short period of time, he was able to help me out as a coach as well.”

Said Lambert: “He was disappointed, but he also understood that there’s a process and his time would come. It came maybe quicker than anybody anticipated.”

It was just 17 games into the season, to be exact.

Herbers is considered a good teacher with a keen eye for detail. Under Lambert, he worked with the Admirals’ defense and developed a bond with several of Nashville’s defensive prospects.

“He was great for me, I learned a lot from him. He always took me for extra videos and helped me to get better in my game, and I think he will be a

good head coach,” said Predators defenseman Roman Josi, who played for Herbers last season and parts of this season. “He corrects you if you do something wrong. He shows you a lot of video, and helps you see your mistakes.”

Muller was not the first Admirals coach to go to the NHL. Peter Horachek is now a Predators associate coach, and Claude Noel is head coach of the Winnipeg Jets. Todd Richards, who was an assistant for Milwaukee, is a former Minnesota Wild head coach and currently is an assistant with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

It’s unclear whether Herbers will follow in the steps of his predecessors, but he appears to be the right fit for right now in Milwaukee.

“He’s very detailed with systems and structure,” Lambert said. “Those are the things that will carry him through.”

Tennessean LOADED: 12.03.2011

598046 Nashville Predators

Preview: Predators vs. Buffalo Sabres

Mike Organ

SABRES AT PREDATORS

When: 7 p.m. today.

TV/radio: None/102.5-FM.

Season series: First meeting.

Sabre to watch: F Thomas Vanek has 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) but only three points in his last five games.

Sabres injuries: F Patrick Kaleta (groin), F Tyler Ennis (ankle) and D Jordan Leopold (upper body) are questionable. G Ryan Miller (concussion) is probable. D Mike Weber (upper body) and Brad Boyes (lower body) are out.

Predators injuries: F Sergei Kostitsyn (upper body) and D Francis Bouillon (groin) are questionable. F Blake Geoffrion (shoulder) is out.

Nashville’s next game: 7 p.m. Tuesday vs. Phoenix.

Tennessean LOADED: 12.03.2011

598047 New Jersey Devils

Wild Knock Out Brodeur Early to Beat Devils

Staff Writer

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild scored three goals on their first four shots and sent New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur to the bench in the first period of a 4-2 win over the Devils on Friday night.

Dany Heatley, Kyle Brodziak and Casey Wellman scored in a 3:03 span of the first period to turn an early deficit into a 3-1 lead and knock Brodeur out of the game just 8:17 in.

Brodziak sealed the win with another goal in the third period. Niklas Backstrom made seven saves in the first period, and Josh Harding, who played the final two periods, stopped all 22 shots he faced for Minnesota.

Zach Parise had a goal and an assist, and Ilya Kovalchuk also scored for the Devils. Johan Hedberg made 11 saves in relief of Brodeur.

Minnesota (16-7-3) leads the NHL with 35 points, one more than Pittsburgh.

After Parise scored 2:54 in to give the Devils the lead, the Wild broke out. Just 20 seconds after Parise's tip-in goal, Heatley skated down the right side of the ice and beat Brodeur to tie it 1-1.

Brodziak gave Minnesota the lead when he knocked in the rebound of his shot over a sprawled Brodeur (5-7) at 6:55. Only 1:22 later, Wellman tipped Matt Cullen's shot past Brodeur to make it 3-1.

First-year Devils coach Pete DeBoer had seen enough and yanked Brodeur for the first time this season. Brodeur has struggled recently, giving up three goals earlier in the week in a loss to the New York Islanders and allowing six in a loss at Colorado on Wednesday.

Brodeur went immediately to the locker room and did not return to the bench.

The 12 goals are the most given up by Brodeur in a three-game span since he allowed 13 in three games and 20 in six games last December. This marked Brodeur's second-shortest outing of his career, just shy of his eight-minute stint at Carolina on Jan. 1 this year.

Backstrom's outing wasn't much longer.

After he stopped seven of nine shots, Backstrom was replaced by Josh Harding to start the second period. Backstrom (10-5-2) was back on the Minnesota bench midway through the frame.

Minnesota had a chance to extend its lead when Mikko Koivu stole a pass and went in on a breakaway with only seconds remaining in the second period, but Hedberg stopped him.

The Devils had a power play midway through the third period, but couldn't net the tying goal. With just more than five minutes to play, Kovalchuk shot a puck that Harding thought might have gotten past him, but the goalie got enough of the puck to keep it out.

With both teams playing a man down, Brodziak gave the Wild a 4-2 lead at 16:24. Brodziak picked up a loose puck at center ice, drove to the net and beat Hedberg on the glove side.

NOTES: Wild RW Cal Clutterbuck sat out after taking a knee to the thigh Wednesday at Edmonton. ... This was Minnesota's last home game before a five-game trip that begins Sunday at Anaheim. ... Backstrom was credited with his fifth career assist on Heatley's first-period goal. ... New Jersey RW Dainius Zubrus was in the lineup despite being struck by a puck on his right ankle Wednesday. He missed practice on Thursday. ... Devils D Andy Green returned to the lineup after missing Wednesday's loss at Colorado with a lower-body injury. ... Hedberg is expected to start in goal on Saturday when the Devils play at Winnipeg.

New York Times LOADED: 12.03.2011


Devils' Ilya Kovalchuk: His best and worst in one game

Rich Chere

ST. PAUL, Minn. — This was Devils winger Ilya Kovalchuk at his best and worst.

He was electrifying in scoring his second goal in as many games and creating several other chances, but he also made some mistakes that proved costly, including on Minnesota's critical fourth goal with 3:36 remaining.

But Devils coach Pete DeBoer stood up for Kovalchuk.

“I thought (Kovalchuk) was very good tonight," DeBoer said after the Devils' 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild tonight. "You guys see the mistake that ends up in the net but, him and Zach (Parise) were the best players on the ice on either team.”

In any event, Kovalchuk was minus-1 and was on the ice for three of Minnesota’s four goals . He was on the ice for five of Colorado's six goals Wednesday night. All told, Kovalchuk has been on the ice for eight of the opposition's last 10 goals and is a combined minus-5.

It was an oddity to see all four goalies play in the same game last night. Starting Minnesota goalie Niklas Backstrom left after two periods with a lower body injury he suffered on Zach Parise’s first-period goal. He was replaced by Josh Harding.

Martin Brodeur was pulled at 8:17 of the opening period and replaced by Johan Hedberg.

Dainius Zubrus said his bruised right ankle was sore.

"Did I feel it? Oh yes," he acknowledged. "I don't feel it's affecting my play."

Zubrus on the Devils' three-game losing streak, which matches their season high: "Now we've lost three in a row. We need to bounce back. We played way better than we did in Colorado, but it wasn't enough."

Frustration?

"There's frustration. At the same time we have to take all the positives," Hedberg said. "These guys are leading the league. We had a rough six or seven minutes. After that we were dominating.

"If we can keep the same compete level we'll be in good shape."

The Devils outshot the Wild, 31-16.

"I thought we responded (after the loss in Colorado) the way I thought we would respond," coach Pete DeBoer said. "We did everything but win the game. We have to find ways to score goals. I'm not frustrated. I'd be frustrated if I didn' get a response."

DeBoer juggled his defense pairings during the game after the Devils "made some mistakes."

Captain Zach Parise: "That was tough. It seems like right now when we make a mistake it;s in the back of our net. I think tonight, though, we competed a lot harder and played better than we did in Colorado. Same result, unfortunately."

Star Ledger LOADED: 12.03.2011


Devils, Martin Brodeur allow Wild three early goals in 4-2 loss

Rich Chere

ST. PAUL, Minn. — For a five-minute span early in tonight’s game, the Devils were in a state of confusion in the so-called “state of hockey.”

But that didn’t stop goaltender Martin Brodeur from blaming himself for not stopping the onslaught.

“We had a slow start but I think it’s our job as goalies to make saves at the right time to weather the storm or whatever. I didn’t do it, so it’s not a fun thing not to bail out the guys,” Brodeur said.

“It’s been two games now with a tough start. The puck doesn’t seem to want to hit me. It’s disappointing for me.”

Brodeur allowed three goals on the first four shots he faced and the Devils were never able to recover as they fell to the Minnesota Wild, 4-2, at the Xcel Energy Center.

Brodeur has allowed six goals on nine first-period shots in the last two games.

It was the third straight loss for the Devils, matching their longest of the season, Oct. 27-Nov. 2. They are 0-2-0 on this four-game trip, which continues tonight at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.

“I relooked at the goals. I don’t think he could’ve done much on them,” coach Pete DeBoer said after pulling Brodeur 8:17 into the game.

“There was one bad bounce off a skate there. So I think it was a combination of me trying to get a spark, but for the second game in a row we’ve started by allowing three goals on five or six shots.

“Everybody has to take responsibility, including me, for not coming out of the gate a lot better.”

It wasn’t the fastest hook of Brodeur’s career. He was pulled after eight minutes in Carolina last season on Jan. 1, 2011. He allowed three goals on seven shots in that game, but Johan Hedberg was the losing goalie after giving up three more goals in a 6-3 defeat to the Hurricanes.

This time Hedberg was sensational, stopping 11 of 12 shots before Kyle Brodziak scored his second goal of the night on a breakaway at 16:24 of the third period with the teams skating four-against-four.

“I never like to (come) out that early but we’re all here to win hockey games,” Brodeur said. “It wasn’t working for me in the net and maybe with Heddy it was going to work. After I got pulled (Hedberg) dominated the whole game.”

Brodeur has given up six goals in the first period of the last two losses. He was hoping to bounce back after the 6-1 loss in Colorado Wednesday night.

“You can’t say you played well when you allow three goals in eight minutes or so,” Brodeur said. “But when you look at the quality of the goals scored, it’s not like I was weak or anything. The puck doesn’t hit me. That’s a couple of games. I’ll try to work harder, I guess, and figure it out. You have to go back and work harder and hopefully the pucks will hit me.”

Both teams scored on their first shot of the game.

The Devils struck first at 2:54 of the opening period when defenseman Andy Greene played the puck off the left wing boards for a one-timer from the point. Zach Parise, in the circle, redirected the puck with the blade of his stick through goalie Niklas Backstrom’s legs for his seventh goal of the season and first in seven games.

But Minnesota answered 20 seconds later when Dany Heatley raced out of the Wild zone and snapped a shot from the right circle at 3:14 off Brodeur’s glove and the post.

The Wild took a 2-1 lead at 6:55 when Ilya Kovalchuk and Parise clicked skates, on Brodziak’s first goal.

When Casey Wellman scored his first goal of the season at 8:17 for a 3-1 Minnesota lead, DeBoer pulled Brodeur.

“That was tough,” Parise said. “It seems like right now when we make a mistake it’s in the back of our net.”



Devils goalie Martin Brodeur: 'The puck just isn't hitting me'

Rich Chere

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The stats are alarming.

Devils goalie Martin Brodeur has allowed six goals on nine first-period shots in the last two games against the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild.

“It’s been two games now with a tough start," Brodeur said after tonight's 4-2 loss to the Wild. "The puck doesn’t seem to want to hit me. It’s disappointing for me.

“We had a slow start but I think it’s our job as goalies to make saves at the right time to weather the storm or whatever. I didn’t do it, so it’s not a fun thing not to bail out the guys."

I asked Devils coach Pete DeBoer if he pulled Brodeur at 8:17 of the first period tonight to get his team going or because Brodeur was playing poorly.

“I re-looked at the goals. I don’t think he could’ve done much on them,” DeBoer answered. “There was one bad bounce off a skate there. So I think it was a combination of me trying to get a spark, but for second game in a row we’ve started by allowing three goals on five or six shots. Everybody has to take responsibility, including me, for not coming out of the gate a lot better.”

It wasn't the fastest hook of Brodeur’s career. He was pulled after eight minutes in Carolina last season on Jan. 1, 2011. He allowed three goals on seven shots in that game, but Johan Hedberg was the losing goalie after giving up three more goals in a 6-3 defeat to the Hurricanes.

“You can’t say you played well when you allow three goals in eight minutes or so. But when you look at the quality of the goals scored, it’s not like I was weak or anything. The puck doesn’t hit me,” Brodeur said. “That’s a couple of games. I’ll try to work harder, I guess, and figure it out. You have to go back and work harder and hopefully the pucks will hit me.”

Brodeur did not sit on the bench after he was pulled.

"There was just no room on the bench," DeBoer said.

Brodeur confirmed that fact.

“It was too squeezed on the bench. I looked at how uncomfortable Heddy was there, so when I went to sit down I looked at it and said, ‘I might as well just go inside.’ ”

DeBoer said Johan Hedberg, who stopped 11 of 12 shots when he replaced Brodeur, will still start Saturday night in Winnipeg.

Hedberg said despite the back-to-back games (it's a 6 p.m. start in Winnipeg, which is 7 p.m. Eastern time), he'll be ready.

"Oh, yes," he said. "Absolutely. Not a problem."



Devils-Wild: As they play

Rich Chere

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Devils continued their road trip tonight when they faced the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center.

Martin Brodeur was in goal for the Devils against Niklas Backstrom.

Dainius Zubrus was in the lineup despite having been hit in the right ankle by a shot in Colorado Wednesday night. Defenseman Andy Greene returned after missing one game with a bruised foot.

Rod Pelley and Mark Fraser were Devils scratches.

THIRD PERIOD

Harding turned aside a backhander from Henrique at 3:02.

Attendance was 17,310.

Schultz was sent off for holding at 9:30, putting the Devils on their third power play. They were 0-for-2 before failing to score for a third time on the PP.

The Wild did not get their first shot of the period until there was 5:30 remaining.

Henrique was stopped from in close with 5:05 left.

Tedenby was called for boarding with 4:09 left when he checked Lundin into the end boards.

Hedberg did not allow a goal until Kyle Brodziak scored his second of the night on a breakaway at 16:24 of the third period with the teams skating four-against-four.

SECOND PERIOD

In another odd twist, the Wild changed goalies to start the period. Josh Harding replaced Backstrom, who allowed two goals on nine shots. Backstrom appeared to get hurt when Clarkson fell on him at 17:21 of the first period.

Just chatted with J.P. Parise, Zach's father, in the press box. Says he is enjoying retirement.

With 8:09 left, Hedberg made a right arm save to rob Heatley from in close.

Sykora's backhander with 4:20 left hit Harding in the left shoulder.

Harding stopped a Parise shot with 1:05 left on a Henrique feed.

Kovalchuk lost the puck, giving Koivu a late breakaway. Hedberg made the save just before the horn sounded to end the period.

The Devils are outshooting the Wild, 21-12.

End of period: Wild 3, Devils 2

FIRST PERIOD

The Devils started the Zach Parise-Adam Henrique-Ilya Kovalchuk line with Henrik Tallinder and Mark Fayne on defense.

Minnesota started Mikko Koivu, Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi with Nick Schultz and Mike Lundin on defense.

Patrik Elias centered for Petr Sykora and Zubrus with Greene and Adam Larsson on defense. Ryan Carter centered a line with Mattias Tedenby and David Clarkson with a defense pairing of Bryce Salvador and Anton volchenkov. The fourth line was Eric Boulton-Tim Sestito-Cam Janssen.

Both teams scored on their first shot of the game.

The Devils struck first at 2:54 when Greene played the puck off the left wing boards for a one-timer from the point. Parise redirected the puck with the blade of his stick through Backstrom's legs for his seventh goal of the season and first in seven games.

But Minnesota answered 20 seconds later when Dany Heatley raced out of the Wild zone and snapped a shot from the right circle past Larsson. It beat Brodeur on his glove side.

The Wild took a 2-1 lead at 6:55 when Kovalchuk tripped on Parise, allowing Kyle Brodziak to skate past Volchenkov to the net. Brodeur made the initial stop and Btodziak fanned on his second try but the Wild forward lifted a backhander over the goalie on his next attempt from below the right circle.

When Casey Wellman scored his first goal of the season at 8:17 for a 3-1 Minnesota lead, coach Pete DeBoer pulled Brodeur and put Johan Hedberg in. Brodeur allowed three goals on four shots.

It wasn't the fastest hook for Brodeur. He was pulled after eight minutes in Carolina on Jan. 1, 2011. He allowed three goals on seven shots, but Hedberg was the losing goalie after giving up three more goals in a 6-3 defeat to the Hurricanes.

Parise had a scoring chance from the bottom of the right circle with 4:27 left and the Devils on the power play. Parise slid through the crease after falling over Minnesota defenseman Greg Zanon.

With 1:45 to go and the Wild on a power play (Clarkson was off for goalie interference), Hedberg stopped a Mikko Koivu shot from the right circle and fell on the rebound.

The Devils outshot the Wild, 9-6.

End of period: Wild 3, Devils 2



Devils' Adam Henrique edged by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as Rookie of Month

Rich Chere

ST. PAUL, MInn. — Devils center Adam Henrique barely lost out to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers as NHL Rookie of the Month for November.

Nugent-Hopkins had 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 14 games. Also named the

League's top rookie for October, Nugent-Hopkins joins Pittsburgh Penguins

forward Evgeni Malkin (2006-07) as the only players in the past 20 years to sweep rookie honors for the first two months of a season.

Nugent-Hopkins edged Henrique (5-9--14 in 14 games), Nashville Predators center Craig Smith (3-5--8 in 13 games), Philadelphia Flyers right wing Matt Read (6-1--7 in 10 games) and Buffalo Sabres goaltender Jhonas Enroth (6-4-1, 2.31 goals-against average, one shutout) for the award.

The Devils announced today that the ceremony to honor former defenseman Scott Niedermayer, on Friday, Dec. 16 at Prudential Center, will get underway at 6:45 p.m. Faceoff that evening vs. the Dallas Stars is set for 8:08 p.m.

The Devils urge all fans to arrive early and be seated by 6:40 p.m. Doors will open at

5:30 p.m. All fans in attendance that evening will receive a commemorative Scott

Niedermayer mini-banner and collector’s card.

MSG Plus will provide special coverage of the evening’s festivities, starting with the pre-game show at 6:30 p.m., including the entire ceremony. SportsRadio 66 WFAN will also provide live coverage of the ceremony and game in their entirety.

New Jersey Devils individual game tickets for all 2011-12 regular-season home games are available at the Prudential Center box office, newjerseydevils.com, prucenter.com, ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets and Ticketmaster charge-by-phone.



Devils: Travis Zajac will miss Winnipeg but Johan Hedberg returns

Rich Chere

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Devils center Travis Zajac has spent most of his time since last summer in his hometown of Winnipeg. Before tearing his Achilles tendon during offseason training, he circled Dec. 3 on his calendar as the date he would play his first NHL game at home with the Devils.

But Zajac won't be in Winnipeg with the Devils this weekend. He's back in New Jersey skating on his own in his comeback from Aug. 18 surgery.

"I definitely feel for him. He was excited once he saw the Jets were coming back," Zach Parise said. "Right away he was talking about being able to go back there and play. So I definitely feel for him not having that opportunity. Good thing we go there when he should be playing next time."

Zajac won't even be there as a spectator.

"Bad scheduling on his part," Parise said jokingly. "It sounds like he's coming along. Hopefully he'll be ready soon."

Johan Hedberg, on the other hand, will be playing in Winnipeg, the city in which he was a popular goalie for the Manitoba Moose in 2000-01 and 2003-04. He'll start in goal for the Devils Saturday night when they face the Winnipeg Jets.

"I had a great experience there. That was actually my first year in North America," Hedberg recalled today. "I got traded during the Olympics and finished off the year there. Two years later I came back when San Jose signed me.

"It was fun. It's a great hockey town. People there are friendly, very passionate about hockey. It's going to be fun to go back to see the excitement now that they have their team back."

Will they remember him?

"I don't know. I think they're pretty caught up in their own team," he said modestly. "I think I had a good year there but it's not like I made a mark. There might be a few of my friends there."

Hedberg 23-13-7 with a 2.56 goals-against average in 46 games for Manitoba in 2000-01. He was 0-2-0 in two games with a 4.32 GAA the second time around.

Both stints he played in the old Winnipeg Arena, not the new MTS Centre.

"I've never seen this building," he said, commenting about the old building: "It had a great hockey feeling."

Hedberg, from Stockholm, Sweden, wasn't bothered by the cold when he played in Winnipeg.

"As I remember, no. I think my skin was tougher in those days," he said. "Now, as soon as it's a little cold outside I start freezing right away. I think my skin got soft with all the years in Georgia."

He played, of course, for the Atlanta Thrashers, the franchise that moved to Winnipeg last summer.

"I see them as the Jets, for sure. I have a lot of connections to all of it. I played in Atlanta. I played in Winnipeg," he said. "I like the jerseys. I think it will be a great atmosphere. It should be a fun game."

Parise's homecoming is, of course, tonight in Minnesota. His parents, fiance and her parents will be at the game.

The requests for tickets aren't as high as usual.

"It's not that bad. I think my family has gotten pretty used to it. They take care of their own stuff a few months before we come back," Parise said. "You just have to make sure you take care of your immediate family and then everyone else you worry about later."

Asked about playing in the Xcel Energy Center, Parise said: "I love coming here and playing. Unfortunately we do it every other year. It's a great arena. Growing up around here I'd go and watch state tournaments. Everybody

loves hockey. The fans are real knowledgeable about the game. When you can call this a home and come back and play it's a lot of fun."

He was asked by a local TV questioner if he had a favorite local hockey player, perhaps a University of Minnesota Gophers player? Not a good question for a University of North Dakota player.

"No Gophers. Come on," Parise said with a laugh. "I was always a big (Neal) Broten fan and (Mike) Modano fan. I was more watching the North Stars growing up than the Gophers. I kind of got more attached to that than college. But definitely no Gophers."

When asked about the Gophers being ranked No. 1, Parise said: "That's when I stopped paying attention. UND always has a strong second half. They always seem to heat up at the right time heading into the playoffs."

And, of course, he was asked about his contract situation and the possible distraction.

"I'm just trying to enjoying playing and focus on playing," Parise said. "Trying to get things going here. That's something you can't pay attention to. Everything is going to fall into place."

Martin Brodeur on starting tonight after the 6-1 loss in Colorado: "Win or lose I think it's always nice to get back as possible to get some momentum and try to erase what happened in the prior game."

Coach Pete DeBoer said: "That was a rattling performance. We've met on it, looked at the tape, discussed it and now we have to move forward. That's what good teams do. Everyone has those type of games. You don't let them turn into a four or five-game losing streak."

I asked DeBoer if he might consider juggling his lines some point soon.

"We consider that every day. That's your mind working 24 hours a day on that," he said. "We've thought about all those things. Again, we've been playing some pretty good hockey so I'm not going to overreact to a bad game. But if a bad game turns into two or three, then obviously that is expected."

DeBoer spoke about Parise: "He's our captain. I think (he's) the most honest player in the league at both ends of the rink. He's really the heart beat of our team. He does it all."

Honest?

"Just somebody that shows up and plays the game the right way," DeBoer explained. "He's a team-first guy. While he'd like to do more offensively, he never puts his individual goals above the team. That's not an easy thing to do. He's in a contract year, he's got a lot of pressure on him. He's wearing the 'C' and not scoring. I haven't seen him waiver from that team-first mentality once. That's exceptional. That's not normal."

DeBoer said Parise isn't distracted by coming home.

"I don't worry about distractions. Especially not with him," he said. "I think you're going to see a pretty motivated guy tonight. I think it's going to be a plus that we're here."

DeBoer on the Wild: "I think what's been impressive is they've done it by playing the right way. They're an honest team. They make you work for your goals. They're not doing it on sheer skill. They're not a high-scoring team. They're getting great goaltending and timely goals and finding a way to win games. That's what the league is all about."

Is Minnesota's trap different than others?

"I don't think so," DeBoer said. "Mike (Yeo) is a very good coach. I've followed him closely. He's worked with Dan Bylsma in Pittsburgh. You see a lot of similarities in what they were doing there.

"This isn't rocket science what we do. It's getting guys to buy in and play hard. I don't believe anyone out there has a magic system or formula or forecheck that separates them from anyone else. It's execution, getting guys to buy in every night. They've done a good job here in Minnesota at that."



Dainius Zubrus takes part in Devils' morning skate

Rich Chere

ST. PAUL, MInn. —Dainius Zubrus, who suffered a brusied right ankle in Colorado Wednesday night, took part in the Devils' morning skate today at the Xcel Energy Center.

So did defenseman Andy Greene (bruised foot).

Both players hope to play tonight against the Minnesota Wild.

Former Devils center John Madden attended the morning skate, along with two of his kids. Madden said he is still hoping to catch on with an NHL team at some point this season.

"I'm still hoping to play somewhere. I'm skating 3-4 times a week, staying in shape," he said.

Every time the Devils have visited the Xcel Energy Center, Jacques Lemaire has either been coach of the Devils or the Wild. Until now.



Devils' Adam Henrique edged by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as Rookie of Month

Rich Chere

ST. PAUL, MInn. — Devils center Adam Henrique barely lost out to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers as NHL Rookie of the Month for November.

Nugent-Hopkins had 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 14 games. Also named the League's top rookie for October, Nugent-Hopkins joins Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin (2006-07) as the only players in the past 20 years to sweep rookie honors for the first two months of a season.

Nugent-Hopkins edged Henrique (5-9--14 in 14 games), Nashville Predators center Craig Smith (3-5--8 in 13 games), Philadelphia Flyers right wing Matt Read (6-1--7 in 10 games) and Buffalo Sabres goaltender Jhonas Enroth (6-4-1, 2.31 goals-against average, one shutout) for the award.

The Devils announced today that the ceremony to honor former defenseman Scott Niedermayer, on Friday, Dec. 16 at Prudential Center, will get underway at 6:45 p.m. Faceoff that evening vs. the Dallas Stars is set for 8:08 p.m.

The Devils urge all fans to arrive early and be seated by 6:40 p.m. Doors will open at

5:30 p.m. All fans in attendance that evening will receive a commemorative Scott

Niedermayer mini-banner and collector’s card.

MSG Plus will provide special coverage of the evening’s festivities, starting with the pre-game show at 6:30 p.m., including the entire ceremony. SportsRadio 66 WFAN will also provide live coverage of the ceremony and game in their entirety.

New Jersey Devils individual game tickets for all 2011-12 regular-season home games are available at the Prudential Center box office, newjerseydevils.com, prucenter.com, ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets and Ticketmaster charge-by-phone.



Devils: Travis Zajac will miss Winnipeg but Johan Hedberg returns

Rich Chere

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Devils center Travis Zajac has spent most of his time since last summer in his hometown of Winnipeg. Before tearing his Achilles tendon during offseason training, he circled Dec. 3 on his calendar as the date he would play his first NHL game at home with the Devils.

But Zajac won't be in Winnipeg with the Devils this weekend. He's back in New Jersey skating on his own in his comeback from Aug. 18 surgery.

"I definitely feel for him. He was excited once he saw the Jets were coming back," Zach Parise said. "Right away he was talking about being able to go back there and play. So I definitely feel for him not having that opportunity. Good thing we go there when he should be playing next time."

Zajac won't even be there as a spectator.

"Bad scheduling on his part," Parise said jokingly. "It sounds like he's coming along. Hopefully he'll be ready soon."

Johan Hedberg, on the other hand, will be playing in Winnipeg, the city in which he was a popular goalie for the Manitoba Moose in 2000-01 and 2003-04. He'll start in goal for the Devils Saturday night when they face the Winnipeg Jets.

"I had a great experience there. That was actually my first year in North America," Hedberg recalled today. "I got traded during the Olympics and finished off the year there. Two years later I came back when San Jose signed me.

"It was fun. It's a great hockey town. People there are friendly, very passionate about hockey. It's going to be fun to go back to see the excitement now that they have their team back."

Will they remember him?

"I don't know. I think they're pretty caught up in their own team," he said modestly. "I think I had a good year there but it's not like I made a mark. There might be a few of my friends there."

Hedberg 23-13-7 with a 2.56 goals-against average in 46 games for Manitoba in 2000-01. He was 0-2-0 in two games with a 4.32 GAA the second time around.

Both stints he played in the old Winnipeg Arena, not the new MTS Centre.

"I've never seen this building," he said, commenting about the old building: "It had a great hockey feeling."

Hedberg, from Stockholm, Sweden, wasn't bothered by the cold when he played in Winnipeg.

"As I remember, no. I think my skin was tougher in those days," he said. "Now, as soon as it's a little cold outside I start freezing right away. I think my skin got soft with all the years in Georgia."

He played, of course, for the Atlanta Thrashers, the franchise that moved to Winnipeg last summer.

"I see them as the Jets, for sure. I have a lot of connections to all of it. I played in Atlanta. I played in Winnipeg," he said. "I like the jerseys. I think it will be a great atmosphere. It should be a fun game."

Parise's homecoming is, of course, tonight in Minnesota. His parents, fiance and her parents will be at the game.

The requests for tickets aren't as high as usual.

"It's not that bad. I think my family has gotten pretty used to it. They take care of their own stuff a few months before we come back," Parise said. "You just have to make sure you take care of your immediate family and then everyone else you worry about later."

Asked about playing in the Xcel Energy Center, Parise said: "I love coming here and playing. Unfortunately we do it every other year. It's a great arena. Growing up around here I'd go and watch state tournaments. Everybody

loves hockey. The fans are real knowledgeable about the game. When you can call this a home and come back and play it's a lot of fun."

He was asked by a local TV questioner if he had a favorite local hockey player, perhaps a University of Minnesota Gophers player? Not a good question for a University of North Dakota player.

"No Gophers. Come on," Parise said with a laugh. "I was always a big (Neal) Broten fan and (Mike) Modano fan. I was more watching the North Stars growing up than the Gophers. I kind of got more attached to that than college. But definitely no Gophers."

When asked about the Gophers being ranked No. 1, Parise said: "That's when I stopped paying attention. UND always has a strong second half. They always seem to heat up at the right time heading into the playoffs."

And, of course, he was asked about his contract situation and the possible distraction.

"I'm just trying to enjoying playing and focus on playing," Parise said. "Trying to get things going here. That's something you can't pay attention to. Everything is going to fall into place."

Martin Brodeur on starting tonight after the 6-1 loss in Colorado: "Win or lose I think it's always nice to get back as possible to get some momentum and try to erase what happened in the prior game."

Coach Pete DeBoer said: "That was a rattling performance. We've met on it, looked at the tape, discussed it and now we have to move forward. That's what good teams do. Everyone has those type of games. You don't let them turn into a four or five-game losing streak."

I asked DeBoer if he might consider juggling his lines some point soon.

"We consider that every day. That's your mind working 24 hours a day on that," he said. "We've thought about all those things. Again, we've been playing some pretty good hockey so I'm not going to overreact to a bad game. But if a bad game turns into two or three, then obviously that is expected."

DeBoer spoke about Parise: "He's our captain. I think (he's) the most honest player in the league at both ends of the rink. He's really the heart beat of our team. He does it all."

Honest?

"Just somebody that shows up and plays the game the right way," DeBoer explained. "He's a team-first guy. While he'd like to do more offensively, he never puts his individual goals above the team. That's not an easy thing to do. He's in a contract year, he's got a lot of pressure on him. He's wearing the 'C' and not scoring. I haven't seen him waiver from that team-first mentality once. That's exceptional. That's not normal."

DeBoer said Parise isn't distracted by coming home.

"I don't worry about distractions. Especially not with him," he said. "I think you're going to see a pretty motivated guy tonight. I think it's going to be a plus that we're here."

DeBoer on the Wild: "I think what's been impressive is they've done it by playing the right way. They're an honest team. They make you work for your goals. They're not doing it on sheer skill. They're not a high-scoring team. They're getting great goaltending and timely goals and finding a way to win games. That's what the league is all about."

Is Minnesota's trap different than others?

"I don't think so," DeBoer said. "Mike (Yeo) is a very good coach. I've followed him closely. He's worked with Dan Bylsma in Pittsburgh. You see a lot of similarities in what they were doing there.

"This isn't rocket science what we do. It's getting guys to buy in and play hard. I don't believe anyone out there has a magic system or formula or forecheck that separates them from anyone else. It's execution, getting guys to buy in every night. They've done a good job here in Minnesota at that."



Devils: Dainius Zubrus and Andy Greene will both play vs. Wild

Rich Chere

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Dainius Zubrus and Andy Greene will both be in the Devils' lineup Friday night when they face the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center.

Zubrus, who was hit on the inside of his right ankle by a shot in Colorado Wednesday night, said he felt fine during the morning skate and had no problem getting into his skate boot. He will definitely play.

"No doubts," Zubrus said. "It's not that bad right now. I was icing it all day yesterday."

Greene, who has a bruised foot from being hit with a shot last Saturday, is also in.

"Yes, I'm good," Greene said. "It felt good out there today."

Martin Brodeur will start in goal. He got to see his sons practice yesterday. They attend Shattuck St. Mary's, which is a 45-minute drive from Minneapolis.

Twins William and Jeremy will attend the game against the Wild. Anthony is headed on a nine-hour bus ride to Notre Dame for a hockey tournament.

Brodeur says he feels like a Minnesota native.

"I got in the limo and I could tell the guy where to go," Brodeur joked. "I've been here so often."

Brodeur got to speak with John Madden Thursday night and hopes he can hook on with an NHL team. Madden attended the Devils' morning skate today. He and Mike Peluso are taping segments for Scott Niedermayer Night in New Jersey Dec. 16.

Does Brodeur think Madden will play in the NHL again?

"I hope so. I talked to him yesterday. It's a tough situation. Look at Pando (Jay Pandolfo) had to sit out a whole year. Dog is a proven winner," the goalie said. "He went to Chicago and go himself another Stanley Cup ring. He's a character guy.

"You'd think somebody would need a guy like that. The longer the season goes by the tougher it's going to get for a team to make a commitment on him. I wish him the best. I knew he wants to play. He calls me up and asks me a question about fantasy hockey. I said, 'Come on, Dog.' "

Coach Pete DeBoer on whether the Devils are grumpy after 6-1 loss in Colorado: "It's a good word for it. Disappointed. We want to get our game back as quickly as possible. It was one of those bumps in the road. You're always going to get adversity. Every team does."



Dainius Zubrus takes part in Devils' morning skate

Rich Chere

ST. PAUL, MInn. —Dainius Zubrus, who suffered a brusied right ankle in Colorado Wednesday night, took part in the Devils' morning skate today at the Xcel Energy Center.

So did defenseman Andy Greene (bruised foot).

Both players hope to play tonight against the Minnesota Wild.

Former Devils center John Madden attended the morning skate, along with two of his kids. Madden said he is still hoping to catch on with an NHL team at some point this season.

"I'm still hoping to play somewhere. I'm skating 3-4 times a week, staying in shape," he said.

If nothing happens this season, Madden said, "then I'll pack it in."

Every time the Devils have visited the Xcel Energy Center, Jacques Lemaire has either been coach of the Devils or the Wild. Until now.



Brodeur yanked early in Devils' loss to Wild

TOM GULITTI

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A rough Martin Brodeur start and a shaky five-minute stretch in the first period proved too much for the Devils to overcome Friday night.

Ilya Kovalchuk scored his sixth goal of the season for the Devils, but it wasn't enough on Friday night in St. Paul, Minn.

Brodeur lasted only 8:17 and gave up three goals on four shots in a 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center.

The defeat was the third in a row for the Devils, equaling their worst losing streak of the season.

“It’s frustrating because I thought we deserved better [Friday],” said Devils captain Zach Parise, who had a goal and an assist.

Coming off an embarrassing, 6-1 loss at Colorado on Wednesday that began this four-game road trip, the Devils did play much better Friday, but still had too many breakdowns.

“I got the response I wanted out of the team [Friday] on everywhere but the scoreboard,” Devils coach Pete DeBoer said. “Even in the first five minutes, we gave up a couple chances, but we had as many at the other end, too. That was the way the puck was bouncing [Friday]. I thought we responded the way I thought we would respond and we did everything but win the game.”

Both starting goalies were out of the game by the start of the second period. Josh Harding replaced Niklas Backstrom for Minnesota after the first period and stopped all 22 shots he faced.

Brodeur was replaced by Johan Hedberg with the Devils trailing, 3-1. He said had no problem with the move.

“I never like to get out that early, but we’re here to win hockey games,” Brodeur said. “It wasn’t working with me in the net and with Heddy maybe it was going to work.”

The Devils got off to the start they wanted taking the lead just 2:54 into the game on Parise’s deflection goal. Dany Heatley answered for the Wild only 20 seconds later, though, on a wrist shot from the right circle that went in off the tip of Brodeur’s catching glove.

Kyle Brodziak scored an unassisted goal at 6:55 to give Minnesota a 2-1 lead. Ilya Kovalchuk tripped over Parise’s skate at the Devils’ blue line and lost the puck to Brodziak, who raced around defenseman Anton Volchenkov in the left circle and scored on his own rebound.

“We kind of clicked skates together,” Parise said. “That’s kind of the way it’s been going. Things like that happen and it’s in the back of the net.

“You can’t do anything about that. That was a really unlucky play.”

Casey Wellman was credited with the goal that made it 3-1 when Matt Cullen’s left circle shot went in of his skate in front at 8:17. That prompted DeBoer to pull Brodeur and bring in Hedberg.

“It was a combination of me trying to get a spark, but it was the second game in a row we started three goals on five or six shots,” DeBoer said. “So, I think everybody has to take responsibility including me for not coming out of the gate a lot better.”

The start was the second shortest in Brodeur’s career. He was replaced after just eight minutes Jan. 1 of last season at Carolina after giving up three goals on seven shots in a 6-3 loss.

“We had a slow start, but I think it’s our job as goalies to make saves at the right time to weather a storm or whatever and I didn’t do it,” Brodeur said.

Kovalchuk got the Devils within 3-2 at 13:19 with his sixth of the season and second in as many games on a shot from the right circle. Despite pressuring Harding for much of the next two periods and outshooting the Wild, 31-16, for the game, the Devils weren’t able to tie it. Kovalchuk came close, hitting the left post with 5:13 remaining.

Finally, Brodziak beat Hedberg to the glove side on a breakaway with 3:36 remaining to clinch it for the Wild.

Bergen Record LOADED: 12.03.2011


Brodeur yanked as Devils fall

Staff Writer

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Wild scored three goals on their first four shots and sent Devils goalie Martin Brodeur to the bench in the first period of a 4-2 win over the Devils last night.

Dany Heatley, Kyle Brodziak and Casey Wellman scored in a 3:03 span of the first period to turn an early deficit into a 3-1 lead and knock Brodeur out of the game 8:17 in.

After Wellman tipped Matt Cullen’s shot past Brodeur, Devils coach Pete DeBoer had seen enough and yanked the veteran goalie for the first time this season, replacing him with Johan Hedberg.

“It’s been two games now with a tough start,” Brodeur said. “The puck doesn’t seem to want to hit me or anything. So it’s definitely disappointing for me. I’m going to get right back at it to try and have a better performance, but it is what it is.”

Brodeur (5-7) has struggled recently, giving up three goals earlier in the week in a loss to the Islanders and six in a loss at Colorado on Wednesday. Brodeur didn’t return to the Devils bench after being pulled, but both he and DeBoer said that was because of a lack of space there.

DeBoer said he made the move to give his team a spark.

“I looked at the goals, I don’t think he could have really done much on them,” DeBoer said. “It was the second game in a row that we’ve started with three goals on five or six shots so I think everybody has to take responsibility, including me.”

The 12 goals are the most given up by Brodeur in a three-game span since he allowed 13 in three games and 20 in six games last December. Last night’s outing was the second-shortest of Brodeur’s career, just longer than his eight-minute stint at Carolina on Jan. 1.

“You can’t say you play well when you allow three goals in eight minutes or so,” Brodeur said. “But you look at the quality of the goals I got scored, it was not like I was weak or anything. The puck just doesn’t hit me.”

Hedberg, who made 11 saves, shut down the Wild until late in the third period. With both teams playing a man down, Brodziak picked up a loose puck at center ice, drove to the net and beat Hedberg on the glove side for a 4-2 lead at 16:24.

Zach Parise had a goal and an assist, and Ilya Kovalchuk also scored for the Devils.

After Parise scored 2:54 in to give the Devils the lead, the Wild broke out. Just 20 seconds after Parise’s tip-in goal, Heatley skated down the right side of the ice and beat Brodeur to tie it 1-1.

Brodziak gave Minnesota the lead when he knocked in the rebound of his shot over a sprawled Brodeur (5-7) at 6:55. Only 1:22 later, Wellman tipped Matt Cullen’s shot past Brodeur to make it 3-1.

New York Post LOADED: 12.03.2011


Wild knock out Brodeur in 1st, beat Devils 4-2

Staff Writer

More ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild scored three goals on their first four shots and sent New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur to the bench in the first period of a 4-2 win over the Devils on Friday night.

Dany Heatley, Kyle Brodziak and Casey Wellman scored in a 3:03 span of the first period to turn an early deficit into a 3-1 lead and knock Brodeur out of the game just 8:17 in.

Brodziak sealed the win with another goal in the third period. Niklas Backstrom made seven saves in the first period, and Josh Harding, who played the final two periods, stopped all 22 shots he faced for Minnesota.

Zach Parise had a goal and an assist, and Ilya Kovalchuk also scored for the Devils. Johan Hedberg made 11 saves in relief of Brodeur.



MacLean joins friend in Carolina

LARRY BROOKS

More RALEIGH, N.C. — John MacLean, who has joined the Hurricanes coaching staff of his best friend, Kirk Muller, as an assistant, said yesterday he was grateful for the opportunity to get back into the league so quickly after being fired by the Devils last Dec. 23, just 33 games into his first NHL head-coaching job.

“You’re wounded, injured, hurt, whatever [being fired], but when you’re in this game, when you’ve played this game, you understand that it’s part of it,” said MacLean, who went 9-22-2 behind the Devils bench before being replaced by Jacques Lemaire. “But then you lick your wounds and are ready to get back into it, I just didn’t think it would be this quickly.”

MacLean and Muller have been best friends pretty much since they were teenage teammates on the Devils in 1984-85. They played together in New Jersey for seven years, then were teammates in Dallas for parts of two seasons early last decade. They have their offseason homes in the same neighborhood in Florida. Their wives and children are extremely close.

Muller was hired as Carolina’s head coach Monday following the dismissal of Paul Maurice.

The Hurricanes lost, 5-3, to the Rangers last night after having lost Muller’s debut behind the bench, 3-1 to Florida on Tuesday.

“Johnny and I had talked about this for a while now, but it’s not because we’re friends that I wanted him here, it’s because of the way he sees the game and that it’s the right fit,” said Muller, who inherited a staff that includes former Devils teammate Dave Lewis.

MacLean said he “learned things about himself” during his short reign as Devils coach, though he did not elaborate. He also said though he had heard talk he’d be let go by general manager Lou Lamoriello, he never considered the prospect of being fired until he was.

“It’s not reality until it is reality, and then when it hits, it hits,” he said. “You do a lot of self-evaluation to get through it, and you get support from your family and friends.

“But I’m very fortunate to have gotten this opportunity and I’m surprise it happened this fast.”


598063 New York Islanders

Chi as they might, Isles can’t rally

Staff Writer

CHICAGO — Captain Jonathan Toews came through again at all the right times for the Blackhawks.

But Matt Moulson couldn’t do the same for the Islanders.

Toews netted the only goal in the shootout, after posting a short-handed goal and assist in regulation while Moulson, the final Islanders’ shooter, saw his attempt hit the post to end the game as the Blackhawks outlasted the Islanders 5-4 last night.

“We kept coming, and if there was a bounce here or there, we might have had a couple,” Moulson said. “Unfortunately, we only came away with one point, but it was a test of our character to keep coming back on a team like that.”

Moulson and P.A. Parenteau both had a goal and an assist for the Islanders, whose two-game winning streak ended. Kyle Okposo also scored for New York, and Montoya made 32 saves in his fourth straight start.

Toews’ goal gave Chicago a 3-2 lead heading into the third, but the Islanders dominated the final 20 minutes of regulation. They outshot Chicago 23-7 in the third and forced overtime with rookie Nino Niederreiter’s goal midway through the frame.

Islanders coach Jack Capuano said he liked his team’s resiliency.

“I thought we played one of the better games of the year,” he said. “Our guys worked hard.

“That’s a good hockey team. Their [defensemen] activate as good as any team that we’ve played.’’



Isles get a point in shootout loss at Chicago

ARTHUR STAPLE

CHICAGO -- One point is not enough, not when you've already given away too many. But Friday night, the point the Islanders got felt like more than just a shootout loser's consolation.

After a dismal second period, the Islanders rallied twice to tie the Western Conference-leading Blackhawks in the third, pumping 23 shots on goal and dominating play for much of the final 20 minutes of regulation.

It was, ultimately, a 5-4 loss thanks to a 1-0 shootout deficit. But after a season's start that included an 0-10-0 record when trailing after two periods, this was a positive.

"We showed a lot of character tonight," said P.A. Parenteau, who wired a power-play wrist shot past Corey Crawford 36 seconds into the third to tie the score at 3. "We came back twice on a team that's a good team, a deep team, one that plays well at home. It's a shootout loss, but I think it's a great team effort."

Patrick Sharp answered with a power-play goal for the Hawks at 5:08 of the third, but the Isles redoubled their aggressiveness instead of wilting. And with a bit of luck, as All-Star defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook collided after a change, rookie Nino Niederreiter snapped a wrist shot by Crawford at 8:55 to tie it at 4.

"It raised us," said Al Montoya, who made 32 saves in his first NHL start in his hometown, including a splayed-out pad stop on Sharp with 32 seconds left in regulation to preserve the point. "You see Nino put his head down and snap one off . . . Awesome."

Niederreiter had a tough night to that point, a split-second off the play on two Hawks goals. Milan Jurcina had an even tougher go. He was on for those two goals, then made a lazy attempt to corral a high dump-in that Jonathan Toews whacked off Jurcina's stick and past Montoya with 1:19 left in the second.

That shorthanded goal capped a dominating second period for the Hawks, who outshot the Islanders 15-2 and erased a 2-1 deficit after one.

The Islanders already have had road periods like that, and they always led to even more demoralizing third periods. That didn't happen this time. "It's a completely different attitude in here," said Matt Moulson, who scored for a third straight game at 14:27 of the first to give the Isles a 2-1 lead. "There's no letdown, there's no feeling sorry for ourselves. We came in after the second and we said, 'We're going to win this game.' "

That seemed unlikely even from the start, with Andrew MacDonald (leg bruise) and his 23 minutes a night sidelined. But Dylan Reese played a smart, aggressive game in his season debut, jumping up in the play judiciously, and Mike Mottau was strong at both ends, including stopping a shot from Toews in the crease in the second to keep the score tied at 2.

Jurcina blocked five shots despite his minus-3 night -- he also took the penalty that led to Sharp's goal -- and the makeshift defense held up well enough.

"We showed some resolve," Jack Capuano said. "I thought we played one of our better games this year."

It was only one point, which isn't enough. But it's progress.

Notes & quotes: After shelling out a moderate-sized mortgage payment to get 35 friends and family into the United Center for his first NHL game in Chicago, native son Montoya was relieved it was over. "Emotionally, that's the hardest thing I've ever had to do in hockey," he said after making 32 saves. "It was also the neatest thing ever. But I'm glad it's over with."

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 12.03.2011


Islanders' Grabner finally a danger again

ARTHUR STAPLE

CHICAGO -- The breakaway numbers are too many to count for Michael Grabner. In the last three games, he's had roughly 10, if you count the one in the first period Tuesday in Buffalo when he wiped out in center ice before getting to a loose puck.

That Grabner has converted only one of those breakaways, a shorthanded game-winner in the third period to beat the Devils a week ago, is troubling, but a bit beside the point.

Grabner is returning to the form he displayed in his breakout 2010-11 season, when he was a threat to score every time on the ice and a disruption to opposing teams' breakout plays, either with the Islanders at even strength or on the penalty kill.

As with many other aspects of the Islanders' overall game, Grabner's takeaway / breakaway threat was missing the first six weeks of the season, but he's starting to find his game.

"I don't think anybody expected the start we had. Even when we won three games [out of the first four], we weren't playing the way we needed to," Grabner said before Friday night's game with the Blackhawks. "I think we have a little more focus, we're playing the system better and we're playing better D."

Having allowed three or more goals in a remarkable 15 consecutive games, during which their record was 2-10-3, the Islanders have settled down their shaky defensive-zone play the last three games and been helped by a quicker transition to offense.

That's especially true when Grabner is on the ice, either killing penalties with Frans Nielsen or with Nielsen and Kyle Okposo at even strength. With Grabner hounding the puck carrier and a threat to steal it and cruise in alone, the opposition hasn't had the confidence to storm through the neutral zone it had during that miserable 15-game stretch.

"It's been a lot of guys -- Fransie's line, Moulson, Josh [Bailey], to name a few -- that have brought an energy that maybe we didn't have for a while," coach Jack Capuano said. "With a guy like Grabs and all the breakaways he's had off turnovers, their D has to respect that and back off a bit, which gives our guys some more time and room to make plays."

It's hard for anyone to explain where the explosiveness was for the first 19 games. Grabner has seven goals, tied for second on a team that has had trouble scoring, so he's about in line to where he should be relative to his teammates.

He, Nielsen and Okposo were "not on the same page," according to Grabner, at the start of the season. Okposo was benched for a week and Grabner went to the right side of Moulson and John Tavares for a stretch. When Okposo returned 10 days ago, the Grabner-Nielsen-Okposo line reunited and they've been generating chance after chance since.

Notes & quotes: D Andrew MacDonald (leg) sat out the game and Dylan Reese made his season debut.


598066 New York Rangers

NY Rangers' Erik Christensen centers on road back

Pat Leonard

TAMPA — Erik Christensen knows as long as the Rangers are winning, the lineup is not going to change. The 27-year-old center is glad the Blueshirts (14-5-3) have won 11 of their last 13 entering Saturday night’s visit to the Tampa Bay Lightning (11-11-2), even though they have rattled off four straight victories with Christensen as a healthy scratch.

As Christensen sees it, the time off gives the fleet-of-foot, seventh-year forward an opportunity to improve his game. That includes spending time in the weight room, watching hockey on his iPad before dinner, and assessing his own practice performance.

"Every day I have to try and get better," Christensen said at practice in Greenburgh earlier this week. “You try to practice as well as you can. I cant just sit there and twiddle my thumbs and think, ‘When am I going to get back in?’ It just doesn’t help.’ ”

One development that could get Christensen back into the lineup quickly is injury. Center Derek Stepan, who took a slap shot off his left ankle late in Thursday night’s 5-3 win over the Hurricanes, did not skate with his teammates Friday at the Lightning's practice facility in Brandon, Fla.

Stepan said he believes he will still play Saturday night, and that he was resting the swollen ankle even though X-rays were negative. Still, he intends to test the ankle in a morning skate.

Christensen could be scratched again, but whenever he returns, he must address the inconsistency that has plagued him since being claimed off waivers from Anaheim on Dec. 2, 2009.

In a span of three games from Oct. 31 to Nov. 5, he had a goal and three assists in three Ranger wins. But he had no points in the next five games is not filling the score sheet .

He is due to become an unrestricted free agent after the season once his two-year, $1.85 million deal expires.

“Some days are better than others, and some days stink, ya know?” Christensen said. “But that's part of pro sports. Not every day's great. You just have to roll with it."

STRIKING LIGHTNING

John Tortorella coached the Lightning to a Stanley Cup in 2004 with Conn Smythe winner Brad Richards and Ruslan Fedotenko playing leading roles. Saturday night, the trio returns for the first time together as members of an opposing franchise.

New York Daily News LOADED: 12.03.2011


Ex-Lightning star returns with red-hot Rangers

LARRY BROOKS

TAMPA, Fla. — Brad Richards is returning to the scene of his greatest triumph. But he is doing so as a Ranger and not coming back home as a member of the Lightning, the latter a scenario the 2004 Conn Smythe winner seriously considered as he pondered his free agency options following last season.

“I had had a great experience there, enjoyed being there and two of my closest friends, Vinny [Lecavalier] and Marty [St. Louis] are still there, and they were talking to me and needling me a little bit, trying to sell me on it,” Richards told The Post before the Rangers flew here from Raleigh for tonight’s match. “I had a house there, and definitely considered the possibility of going back.”

But with Lecavalier in at $7.727 million per through 2019-20, St. Louis under contract for $5.625 million through 2014-15 and Steven Stamkos embarking on Group II free agency last July 1 before signing for $7.5 million per through 2015-16, the Lightning just could not offer Richards anything close to the Rangers’ front-loaded $60 million over nine years.

“We talked on July 1, but in the end, coming to New York and to the Rangers is what I wanted,” Richards said. “But going back to Tampa was something I thought about very seriously.”

Richards, who has 20 points (9-11), has been a big part of the Rangers’ 11-2 mark over the last 13 games. If not necessarily dominant, then as a big-play player whose presence has unquestionably elevated the team’s standard.

But even as Richards has contributed in so many different ways — it was his idea to bring what is known as The Broadway Hat back with the club from Europe and use it as a trophy following victories — it’s been different than was projected over the summer.

Richards was signed essentially to be Marian Gaborik’s center and to be the power play point quarterback. But No. 19 was moved off Gaborik’s line onto a grinding unit with Ryan Callahan on his right following the eighth game of the season, and he was moved off the point to play up front on the power play four games ago.

“It’s a little different, for sure,” acknowledged Richards, whose shift on the power play has coincided with both the winning streak and the man-advantage unit scoring in four straight games for the first time. “The power play, I can’t even remember the last time I played three or four games in a row up front.”

Richards said he considered returning to Tampa this summer. The fact is he never wanted to leave when he agreed to waive his no-trade clause to accept a deal to Dallas at the 2008 deadline, not even two full seasons into a five-year, $39 million contract.

“There was the new [Len Barrie-Oren Koulis] ownership, and they weren’t going to spend any money,” Richards said. “There were two or three large contracts that were handcuffing the team so that management wasn’t going to be able to do what was necessary to improve the team.

“You could kind of see what was going to go on. It was frustrating. I talked to a couple of people in the organization who told me it was going to be a little bit messy for a while, so when the trade to Dallas was presented to me, it made sense to accept it.

“The truth is I never wanted to leave.”

And now Richards returns to Tampa.

Visiting as a Ranger.

Derek Stepan did not skate at practice after blocking a shot with his left ankle in the third period of Thursday’s 5-3 victory in Carolina. X-rays were negative. The center is expected to participate in today’s morning skate.



Three bolts of Lightning added boost for Rangers

ANDREW GROSS

BRANDON, Fla. – Brad Richards has returned to play in Tampa Bay twice since the Lightning traded him to the Stars.

Facing his ex-team will be extra special for Rangers big shot Brad Richards for a few reasons.

Both times were special.

But he expects tonight’s third visit to the St. Pete Times Forum to be a little more special because now it’s not just him. There’s a trio of ex-Lightning coming to town with the Rangers, who are looking to extend their latest winning streak to five.

Richards is back in Tampa Bay for the first time since signing a nine-year, $60 million deal with the Rangers to reunite with John Tortorella, who coached the Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004. Richards’ linemate, Ruslan Fedotenko, was also on that team.

"Yeah, it’s probably going to be different," Richards said after the Rangers conducted a 30-minute practice at the Ice Sports Forum. "It’s Feds, too. It’s always special coming back.

"Up until this summer, I lived here in the off-season," Richards added. "It’s been the last 11 years. I love playing in that building."

Richards admitted it’s a building he expected to always be his home arena in the NHL, especially after the Lightning won the Stanley Cup.

He signed a five-year deal worth $39 million with the Lightning following the 2005-06 season but the Lightning moved that contract to the Stars on Feb. 26, 2008, hours before that season’s trade deadline.

Richards lost both times he played in Tampa Bay with the Stars – a 4-2 defeat on Jan. 15, 2009 and a 5-4 loss on Oct. 18, 2010.

"They were emotional times," Richards said. "It’s not easy. They’re all my great friends and we won. We won something special that year. We thought we’d be here forever. We thought we would have more chances to win."

Meanwhile Fedotenko, who left the Lightning after the 2006-07 season and has since also won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins, is not as sentimental about returning to Tampa Bay.

"No, it’s been a long time," Fedotenko said. "We won a Cup and that’s always a great memory but it’s just another game, another opponent."

BRIEFS: Center Derek Stepan said X-rays on his left ankle were negative after he blocked a third-period shot Thursday at Carolina. However, he did not practice Friday and while he expects to play tonight, he said he first needs to test his ankle during the morning skate. "It was a little sore [Friday] morning so we’re trying to help it," Stepan said. "It was right on the ankle bone. It was a weird spot. It was hard getting a feeling in my feet.’’ … Right wing John Mitchell’s right eye was slightly swollen and discolored after needing seven stitches following a blocked shot Thursday. He said he expects to wear a visor tonight. … Left wing Mike Rupp (left knee), out since Oct. 24, skated for a third straight day on his own.

Bergen Record LOADED: 12.03.2011


Mitchell takes one for team, in the face

ANTHONY RIEBER

BRANDON, Fla. -- John Mitchell had two thoughts as he skated off the ice in the third period Thursday night with blood pouring from a cut above his right eye after he blocked a shot with his face:

1. Concern for his wife, who was watching the game at home.

2. Frustration.

"You're just frustrated," the Rangers forward said, "because who wants to block a shot with their face? Right?"

Seven stitches later, Mitchell was OK, though he did not return to the Rangers' 5-3 win over the Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C. After getting treatment and speaking with the media, he even remembered to text his wife.

"I can't imagine what my wife was thinking," he said. "Probably watching the game and seeing blood pouring down my face. I texted her to say I was OK. Her first thing was, 'Wear a visor.' "

Mitchell, 26, who was called up on Thanksgiving Day, has played in 163 NHL games. He has not worn a visor in any of them because they can fog up.

That may change Saturday night when the Rangers visit the Lightning in Tampa. After practice Friday, Mitchell said he probably will start wearing a visor.

"That might be a smart thing," he said.

Mitchell was counting his lucky stars after the shot by Joni Pitkanen struck him with 13:18 to go. A few inches lower and the former Maple Leaf might have suffered a serious eye injury.

"He kind of pump-faked and I kind of kept sliding by and then when he finally shot, the only part of my body I could block with was my head," Mitchell said. "I tried to kind of turn at the last second, but it was just a little too late. Luckily, it hit the top of my helmet and came down and caught me. It would have been a lot worse had it hit me straight on."

Mitchell's sacrifice was not unnoticed by coach John Tortorella, who praised his team's willingness to stop shots with their bodies. Derek Stepan stopped one with his left ankle in the third period and was able to return to the game.

Mitchell is OK, but Stepan had postgame X-rays (negative), missed Friday's practice and is questionable for Saturday.

"We're one of the better teams in blocking shots," Tortorella said. "It's something we're asking all of our guys to do. Mitch takes one right in the head, but Step, too. I thought Step was really hurt and then he's ready to play the next shift."


598070 Ottawa Senators

Brassard? Michalek a Rocket man

By DON BRENNAN, QMI Agency

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Senators made a minor trade Friday, but there’s a bigger one for the taking if they want it.

Claims by his agent of mistreatment in Columbus made it clear that Derick Brassard is available. The 24-year-old Hull product has the pedigree to become the second-line centre the Senators have sought. A junior scoring star when he was Guillaume Latendresse’s set up man with the Drummondville Voltigeurs, Brassard was the sixth pick in the 2006 draft. But his Blue Jackets’ career has been marked by injury and an inability to near his potential. Brassard’s best season was 2010-11, when he had 17 goals and 30 assists, and through the first two months of the current campaign, he has just two goals and two assists.

The Senators are interested in players like him — talented and in desperate need of a fresh start, but at two more seasons after this with a cap hit of $3.2 million, he’s likely a bigger gamble than they want to take. They are, however, giving a fresh start to one Robert Klinkhammer.

The 6-foot-3, 209-pound left winger was acquired Friday by Binghamton Senators GM Tim Murray for a conditional seventh-round pick. The scouting report on Klinkhammer, who had two goals and four assists for Chicago’s AHL affiliate in Rockford, is that he skates very well for a big man. But with just six penalty minutes, he hasn’t exactly been playing like a big man. Klinkhammer will report to the B-Sens, and it’s hoped he’ll start hammering some people.

THIS AND THAT

Chris Neil should be back in the Senators lineup against the Caps. After missing nine games with a sprained ankle, he practised Friday on a line with Jesse Winchester and Zenon Konopka. “If I’m not (in Saturday) I wait for the next game and just keep myself in good shape, try to stay on top of things so when they do need me I’ll be ready to go,” said Neil, who doesn’t anticipate having a problem picking up where he left off. “I think the way we play definitely helps,” he said. “We play a structured system. If you pay attention to details and play within the system, you get your first couple of shifts under your belt and you go from there.” Bobby Butler is expected to take a seat in the pressbox ... Of the Senators’ 25 games so far, the opponents have had more power plays in 17. “I asked one of the refs the other night, ‘what do we have to do to get a power play?’” said Daniel Alfredsson. “He just said ‘move your feet, work through it’ so I guess that’s all we can do.” ... Beating the Capitals would give the Senators a 6-3-1 record in a stretch of games that saw them play 9-of-10 on the road. “I think it would be great for our team, for our confidence and growth as a team,” coach Paul MacLean said of having that kind of success away from Scotiabank Place. “When you know you can win on the road, it’s an important step in getting a comfort level in doing that. We kind of let one slip on us, but it’s all part of the learning process.

‘The way we’ve played the last 10 games is also giving us confidence, no matter what the outcome is (Saturday). We’ve played real well as a team on the road and in some tough places. I think we’ve grown.”

RINK WRAP

Entering Friday, Milan Michalek’s 15 goals had him one back of leaders for the Rocket Richard Trophy, Phil Kessel and Steven Stamkos. Pretty heady company, indeed. “My friends called me (about that),” Michalek said. “It’s nice to be there with these guys. They’re good players. Hopefully I can stay long with them.” ... Dale Hunter, who may actually be Robin Williams in a red jacket, likes the way the Capitals have played since he took over as coach. Never mind the 0-2 record. “There’s not a timetable on it,” Hunter said when asked how long it will take for him to make an impact behind the Caps bench. “But we need to win games. I see the boys getting better every day. As a coach, you’re always scared they’re going to fall back a little bit, but they improved (Thursday) night and I expect them to improve (Saturday).” ... The Caps have lost their last four, and MacLean knows how they feel. “We’ve been that team ourselves before and we know how desperate or urgent you are to win that game,” he said. “You don’t want it to keep going on you. So we have to match or exceed that competition level

(Saturday) night. We know how hard they’re going to work so we’ve got to make sure we’re ready to go.”

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 12.03.2011

598071 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers Notes: Walker clears waivers, but was not in the lineup Friday

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Matt Walker cleared reentry waivers at noon and joined the Flyers, but the 31-year-old defenseman was not in the lineup Friday night against the Ducks.

Instead, coach Peter Laviolette went with Kevin Marshall, giving the Flyers two rookies on defense. Marc-Andre Bourdon was the other.

Walker, who was recalled from the AHL Adirondack Phantoms, could play Saturday night against the Coyotes in Phoenix. He gives the Flyers experience and muscle on the back end, though he spent lots of time in the penalty box (16 minutes) in his three games with the Flyers earlier this season.

Any team could have claimed Walker, but they would have been responsible for half his salary this season and next year. He earns $1.9 million this season and $2 million in 2012-13.

Jagr back in the mix

After missing four of the last five games because of a groin injury, Jaromir Jagr returned to the lineup Friday. "We wouldn't put somebody in there who's not ready," Laviolette said before the game. "He's ready."

The lineup also included speedy Harry Zolnierczyk, who played on the fourth line instead of enforcer Jody Shelley.

"He generates some offense and seems to find opportunities on the wing and off the forecheck," Laviolette said of Zolnierczyk.

Ryan off the market

Anaheim winger Bobby Ryan, the pride of Cherry Hill, was the subject of trade rumors before the Ducks made a coaching change on Wednesday, replacing Randy Carlyle with Bruce Boudreau

The Ducks now say Ryan is not on the trading block.

That suits Ryan, who is off to a somewhat slow start. He had seven goals in his first 24 games entering Friday.

"I'm happy that things worked out and happy we got a coach who is spirited . . . and hopefully he'll get us untracked," Ryan, 24, said before Friday's game.

Ryan, who signed a five-year, $25.5 million contract before last season, was asked if he ever daydreamed about playing for the Flyers some day.

"I have in the past. Obviously, everyone wants to play for their hometown," Ryan said. "But I'm pretty happy where I am, and I like the colors I'm wearing."

Ryan admitted that, before the coaching change, he thought a trade "may be for the best. Maybe it's a fresh chance, and maybe fresh scenery is what I needed. Either way, I would have been happy to put the 24 games behind me because it wasn't the best start for myself."

Carlyle had put Ryan on the third line to spread out the scoring, but Boudreau moved him back to the first unit.

Breakaways

James van Riemsdyk missed his third straight game with a lower-body injury. . . . Despite getting shut out in their previous game against the Rangers, the Flyers led the league with a 3.48 goals-per-game average before Friday. . . . Claude Giroux entered the night third in the NHL with 29 points. . . . Matt Read took nine goals into the game, placing him second among NHL rookies.

- Sam Carchidi

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 12.03.2011


Flyers capitalize on built-in momentum swings

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Glued to the high slot to the right of the Ducks net, Claude Giroux could barely contain his excitement with the puck rotating around the top of the Flyers’ umbrella power play setup.

With deadly threat Jaromir Jagr opposite him and Scott Hartnell clogging Jonas Hiller’s sightline, Giroux knew it was only a matter of time before the puck would be heading his way.

“We were trying to hit ‘Jags’ there,” Giroux explained. “He’s obviously pretty dangerous. I think [Hiller] couldn’t really see, so he was cheating on ‘Jags’ a little bit.”

Sure enough, Danny Briere feathered over a pass. Cocked and ready, Giroux wound up and his celebration was underway nearly before the follow-through on his slap shot finished.

Hiller had no chance.

Giroux’s slapper, the Flyers’ golden goal and third power play goal of the game, capped a thrilling 4-3 comeback win over the Ducks to spoil Bruce Boudreau’s debut behind Anaheim’s bench at the Honda Center.

The Flyers trailed by 3 goals in the first 26:31 of Friday night’s game. It was the first time since Dec. 11, 2008 at Carolina that they erased a three-goal deficit.

On Friday, the story was not Jaromir Jagr’s two tallies in his first full game since Nov. 14. It was the Flyers’ power play - lifeless over the previous 4 games - which fueled the entire comeback with its work on the 5-on-3 and 4-on-3 advantages.

No goal had a bigger impact on the win than Jagr’s second of the game, which came when he rocketed a slap shot past Hiller early in the third period.

If there was a similarity to Jagr’s second goal and Giroux’s overtime winner, it was that both times, Anaheim was limited to 3 penalty killers on the ice.

Too many times this season, the Flyers had not been able to capitalize on 5-on-3 and 4-on-3 opportunities. They are now 2-for-7 this season, which believe it or not, puts them in the bottom third of the league in that category.

"With 5-on-4, there’s always pressure. There’s never any time to setup the way you really want to,” coach Peter Laviolette explained. “That one player [less], all teams seem to pull back completely and tighten in front of their net. There’s lots of time to settle things down and find the right seams.

“There is never any pressure. It’s about finding the right movement, finding the right shot, seeing what you want out there.”

In 5-on-3 and 4-on-3 advantages against the Ducks, the Flyers combined for 10 shots on goal. For a power play that had connected just twice in its last 16 attempts before Jagr converted late in the second period, one less attacker was the perfect stimulant.

Overall, the Flyers were 3-for-9 on the power play. It was the second time (Oct. 18) that they had scored 3 power play goals in one game.

“There was probably over a dozen quality chances from the power play,” Laviolette said. “I thought there was good movement out there. Pucks got to the net. We were able to find some lanes. We had been having a hard time getting it to the net, it seems like a lot had been blocked and not reaching there.”

Earlier this season, the Flyers failed to capitalize on built-in game-changing 5-on-3 advantages. When a team does not score with the two-man advantage, it can actually morph into a shot in the arm for the killing opponent.

“Anytime you have 5-on-3, against or for, it can change the momentum a little bit,” Giroux said. “It’s been a while that [the power play has] made a difference. We’ve been working a lot on it.”

The Flyers spent a good chunk of their practice time in Southern California this week working on their power play setup.

“We had the chances,” Jagr said. “That’s what you need, one power play like that to get the confidence.”

The end result was a satisfying win. Not only did the Flyers rain on Boudreau’s parade on Friday night, but they collected 2 points that seemed lost just halfway through the game.

“Any time you can win a game like that, the way we did,” Giroux said, “There’s not a better feeling than that.”

JAGR GASSED: Jaromir Jagr scored his 184th and 185th power play goals of his storied career, but he could barely catch his breath after the game.

Jagr, 39, played 22:54 in his first full game since Nov. 14. He collected 3 points, assisting on Giroux’s game-winner, and he threw 16 shots at Hiller (10 on net, 3 blocked and 3 missed).

“I had shifts where I thought I was going to puke,” Jagr said. “I didn’t feel that good after some shifts. [The] game shape is going to take time. Don’t forget, it’s been almost 2 weeks since I last played a game.”

For Jagr, the biggest hurdle on Friday night was all inside his head. His next hurdle: a back-to-back contest on Saturday night in Phoenix.

“After missing almost 6 games, you kind of have something inside your head that you think you’ll miss other games,” Jagr said. “That’s why my goal was to survive the game. Of course, you feel better as the game goes on.”

QUOTABLE:

"It's frustrating. It's an emotional game out there. It definitely won't happen again, that kind of stuff at the end of a game. It hurt our group tonight. I'll take that on me and we'll go forward from there."

-Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf was penalized for a double-minor in overtime, giving the Flyers a four-minute power play with just 4:19 left in the extra session. The extra 2 minutes were for mouthing off to referee Brian Pochmara. The Flyers scored with 1:31 left, so without the extra 2 minutes, it would have been 4-on-4 hockey.

ROCKY START: The Flyers trailed after the first period for the fifth time in their last 6 games. They have been outscored 11-2 in the first period over that stretch. That’s a stark contrast from the first 18 games of the season, where they outscored opponents 24-17 in the first 20 minutes.

Turns out, the Flyers decision to arrive in SoCal on Tuesday in advance of Friday's game to adjust to the Pacific time zone paid off. The third period was played after 12 midnight Eastern time and the Flyers had plenty of energy.

"The first period was pretty embarrassing," Giroux said. "We didn't play the way we wanted to. 'Bryz' kind of kept us in the game a little bit in the first. To be able to come back on the road like that, it's pretty fun. Guys don't quit."

DROUGHT OVER: Jagr’s second period goal snapped a goalless drought that spanned parts of 3 games. The official drought total was 115:24, dating back to the second period of the Black Friday game against Montreal.The Flyers took 65 shots during that span without a single one breaking the goal line.

SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS: Friday night was the first time the Flyers have more than doubled up their opponent in shots (47-22) since Oct. 23, 2010. Believe it or not: Friday was not a season-high in shots allowed for Anaheim. It was the fourth time the Flyers have taken 40 or more shots in a game, they are now 2-2 when doing so.

BOO-DREAU: Since Bruce Boudreau joined the NHL head coaching ranks in 2007, the Flyers have now gone past regulation in exactly 8 of the 17 times they have faced him. They are 7-6-4 against him all-time. Boudreau's first NHL win, in fact, came as a 4-3 overtime triumph against the Flyers on Nov. 23, 2007. The Flyers returned the favor on Friday with the exact result.

UP NEXT: Chris Pronger said it involved a little “gamesmanship.” Ilya Bryzgalov got the last laugh. A little more than 2 weeks after two of Bryzgalov’s former teammates publicly trashed him a few hours prior to facing him on Nov. 17, Bryzgalov is hoping to get another crack at the Coyotes on Saturday. This time, it’s in Phoenix, where Bryzgalov made his home in the desert for 3 seasons. If Bryzgalov does play - and Laviolette does not announce his goaltenders beforehand - it would be the first time he does in both games of a back-to-back this season. He did it 7 times with Phoenix last year - but just 3 of those sets involved travel. Saturday marks just the Flyers’ third game in Phoenix since 2003. They are 0-2-0 at Jobing.com Arena, where the Coyotes rank last in NHL attendance with a 10,671 average draw, since it opened. All-time, the Flyers lead the series 12-8-1 but are just 2-3-1 since the NHL lockout, including Nov. 21’s 2-1 triumph.

For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @DNFlyers

Posted by Frank Seravalli



Giroux goal lifts Flyers to 4-3 win over Ducks in overtime

By Sam Carchidi

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Winger Jaromir Jagr, sidelined in four of the previous five games because of a groin injury, made a stirring return to the Flyers' lineup Friday night.

But his two-goal performance might have been wasted if his linemates didn't provide some late-game heroics.

Scott Hartnell sent the game into overtime, and Claude Giroux scored the game-winner as the Flyers overcame a three-goal deficit and shocked the Anaheim Ducks, 4-3, in overtime at the Honda Center.

"We don't give up. We just continued to work hard and execute, and eventually it paid off," said goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who steadied himself after a rough start.

Giroux scored on a left-circle blast with 1 minute, 31 seconds left in overtime while the Flyers were on a four-on-three power play.

The Flyers' tied it at 3 when Hartnell, converting a Kimmo Timonen (three assists) behind-the-net pass, scored with 3:02 remaining in regulation.

The stunning turnaround ruined Bruce Boudreau's first game as Anaheim's head coach. Boudreau's first career win, back in 2007 with Washington, was against the Flyers. For most of Friday, it looked like his initial victory with Anaheim would also be against the orange and black.

The Flyers had three power-play goals for the second time this season.

"You're not going to beat that club if you take (11) minors," Boudreau said. "I played against them too many times. . . . They're the highest-scoring team in the league for a reason."

Playing their first game since last Saturday, the Flyers cut the deficit to 3-1 when Jagr scored on the power play, his first goal since Nov. 5. Jagr deflected Timonen's drive past goalie Jonas Hiller with 4:42 left in the second period.

"That's what we needed - one power-play goal to get the confidence," Jagr said after the 116th two-goal game of his career.

With the Flyers on a five-on-three power play, Jagr scored on a one-timer from the right circle, cutting the Ducks' lead to 3-2 with 15:14 left in the third period. It gave Jagr 654 career goals, two away from from Brendan Shanahan's total for 11th place in NHL history.

Hiller turned aside Jagr's bid for his first NHL hat trick since 2006 with 6:20 left in regulation.

The Flyers, who had seven rookies in their lineup because of injuries, played a strong second period, but they were flat in the opening 20 minutes as they fell into a 2-0 hole and allowed a power-play goal.

"The score was bad, but I didn't think we played that bad," Jagr said. "Some shifts, we cycled the puck real well."

Coach Peter Laviolette agreed.

"The only thing I didn't like in the first period was the score," he said. "We had shots, chances . . . and we got better in the second and better in the third."

The Flyers outshot the Ducks, 47-22.

Despite two goals and 10 shots on goal, Jagr said he is still rounding into game condition after missing most of the last five games.

"Some shifts, I thought I was going to puke," he said.

Laviolette praised his entire team.

"I thought all the lines were good. The young kids stepped up and played well. The fourth line gave us great energy shifts," said Laviolette, who sat many of his rookies in the final 10 minutes of regulation and the overtime.

"[Danny Briere's] line was good. [Brayden] Schenn looked good. Lots of positives to take from tonight."

At the top of the list was the power play, which went 3 for 9, getting two goals from Jagr and the game-winner from Giroux after a double-minor to Ryan Getzlaf.

"It's been a while since we made a difference," Giroux said of the power play, which was 1 for 10 in its previous three games.

Bryzgalov, benched in the previous two-plus games, gave the Ducks momentum by allowing a soft power-play goal with 11:48 left in the opening period. He failed to pokecheck the puck away from Andrew Cogliano, who knocked it past him to give Anaheim a 1-0 lead.

About 21/2 minutes later, ageless Teemu Selanne got behind Braydon Coburn and tapped in Saku Koivu's goalmouth pass, giving the Ducks a 2-0 lead.

Anaheim made it 3-0 early in the second period when Bryzgalov served a juicy rebound that Andrew Gordon put into the net after the puck appeared to deflect off Flyers defenseman Marc-Andre Bourdon in front.

The Ducks' Matt Beleskey could face a disciplinary hearing for a flagrant boarding penalty that sent Sean Couturier to the ice in the opening period.



Flyers recall Walker, but he's not in lineup

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Veteran Matt Walker, a physical defenseman, cleared re-entry waivers Friday and rejoined the Flyers, GM Paul Holmgren said.

Walker, 31, had played 10 games with the AHL Phantoms and had a goal and an assist.

Walker, however, was not in Friday's lineup in Anaheim. Instead, coach Peter Laviolette went with rookie Kevin Marshall.

In three games with the Flyers earlier this season, Walker was minus-2 with no points and 16 penalty minutes.

Goaiie Ilya Bryzgalov will start Friday's game, Jaromir Jagr, Brayden Schenn and Harry Zolnierczyk are among the players in the lineup. James van Riemsdyk (upper-body injury) and Jody Shelley are out.

*

Here is the expected lineup:

Hartnell-Giroux-Jagr.

Read-Briere-Simmonds.

Talbot-Schenn-Voracek.

Zolnierczyk-Couturier-Rinaldo.

Defense: Coburn-Timonen; Carle-Bourdon; Meszaros-Marhsall.

Goalie: Bryzgalov.

*

Anaheim, whose lineup features South Jersey native Bobby Ryan, will be playing its first game under new coach Bruce Boudreau.

*

Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter - @BroadStBull.



Flyers' vets make rookies pay; Walker clears

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- With 7 rookies on the Flyers’ roster, they were bound to be targeted by the veterans at some point during the season.

Just a couple weeks ago, we wrote about the fun the Flyers’ veterans might soon have with their rookie teammates. Well, the Flyers held their annual rookie dinner on Tuesday night in the Newport Beach, Calif., area.

That meant first year players like Zac Rinaldo, Brayden Schenn, Harry Zolnierczyk, Sean Couturier, Matt Read, Kevin Marshall and Marc-Andre Bourdon were left with the check.

That’s especially tough for players like Marshall and Bourdon, who have only been collecting an NHL-sized paycheck for a little more than a week. So, the Flyers gave those two guys the flexibility of paying next year.

Instead, Bourdon said they both obliged to lessen the load on their rookie counterparts. They likely earned some props in the process.

“I decided to pay,” Bourdon said. “I think it was a good choice because there are a lot of rookies and it came out cheaper. I just wanted to feel a part of the team.”

Bourdon said it cost “a couple grand,” which is a sizable portion of his normal $65,000 salary in the AHL. He’ll make up for it in his stay with the Flyers, which looks like it could be longer than even he originally planned. Bourdon makes $4,730 per day with the Flyers, which has already added up to $37,840 in his 8 days on the roster.

BOOTING SCHENN: When Brayden Schenn returns to the Flyers’ lineup on Friday night against Anaheim, he will do so wearing a clear, protective boot over his skate.

Schenn’s custom molded boot will try and minimize the impact of a shot or slash against his fractured foot. He is still looking for his first NHL goal.

For some players, the boot is a hindrance to their skating and turning. The Flyers’ players regularly add them onto their skates in practice for drills (like the penalty kill) that involve shots in harms way, but players rarely wear them during a game.

“Everyone skates differently,” Schenn said. “For me, I just tell myself that I have to wear one. I’ve got to keep my foot protected. I can’t let the puck [get close]. To be honest, it’s fitted to my skate and I can’t even tell. There’s so light, you can barely tell.”

BRYZ BACK: Nearly a week after he said he was sick, Ilya Bryzgalov is expected to get the call in net tonight for the Flyers. Bryzgalov, who has been on the bench for 5 out of the Flyers’ last 7 games, notified the media on Wednesday that he was struggling with an illness.

Bryzgalov would not say, however, whether it impacted coach Peter Laviolette’s decision to run with Sergei Bobrovsky.

“I don’t know, maybe it’s just a coincidence,” Bryzgalov said on Wednesday. “I’m just telling you, I was sick.”

Peter Laviolette would not announce his starting goaltender on Thursday, but all signs point to Bryzgalov. He would not also lend credence to the fact that Bryzgalov’s health over the last week played a role into his starter’s decision.

“I think there’s something to be said for rewarding a player who does well,” Laviolette said Wednesday. “Bryz is our No. 1 goalie ... It’s a long season, and I’m sure there will be another opportunity for Bob to steal a couple games in a row. He’ll come in and do the job and we’ll reward him by putting him back in the net.”

The biggest question of the road trip is whether Bryzgalov plays both ends of the back-to-back against his former teams, both Anaheim and Phoenix. They are separated by less than an hour’s flight and Saturday’s game against Phoenix is less than 24 hours after the contest in Anaheim.

STRANGE STARTS: Bruce Boudreau’s first game as an NHL coach was against the Flyers on Nov. 23, 2007 - when his Capitals, then ranked dead last in the NHL, topped the Flyers, 4-3, in overtime.

Nicklas Backstrom scored the game-winner. Boudreau was the Capitals’ interim head coach, having earned the title early on Black Friday as the former Hershey Bears head coach before the Flyers’ annual matinee game.

On Friday, Boudreau’s first game as the Ducks head coach will also be against the Flyers.

If that wasn’t strange enough: Peter Laviolette’s first game as the Flyers’ coach on Dec. 4, 2010 was against Boudreau and the Capitals.

Boudreau is an astounding 201-88-40 since that game in 2007 at the then-Wachovia Center. The Flyers are 6-6-4 in franchise history against Boudreau. Exactly 7 of those games have gone past regulation time and 9 of them were 1-goal games.

THE IRONY: Just a few miles north of Anaheim, a former Flyer had a tough night at the Staples Center. Kings forward Mike Richards was knocked out of Thursday's game against the Panthers after a fierce hit from Florida's Sean Bergenheim.

It was Richards, if you remember, who caught Florida's David Booth (who has since been traded to Vancouver) with a nasty hit in 2009 that sparked controversy throughout the league. Richards was not suspended. But after watching the hit on video, Richards said he would not have made the same hit again, choosing to let up with a player in a vulnerable position and the puck readily available to be stripped without a bone-crunching hit.

On Thursday, it was Richards who was the recipient. He left the game with a non-descript, "upper-body" injury. Richards had been on fire, posting 10 points in his previous 10 games. He had also been riding a 5-game goal streak that was snapped earlier in the week.

PROJECTED LINEUP: Subject to change, but here are the Flyers' lines I am projecting for their matchup agains the Ducks: (Flyers did not have morning skate at Honda Center)

Hartnell - Giroux - Jagr

Simmonds - Briere - Read

Schenn - Talbot - Voracek

Zolnierczyk - Couturier - Rinaldo

Coburn - Timonen

Carle - Bourdon

Walker - Meszaros

Bryzgalov

Bobrovsky

Scratches: James van Riemsdyk (injured), Kevin Marshall (healthy), Jody Shelley (healthy).

For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli



Flyers' Going Longer Without Pronger

Since they are facing at least four more long weeks sans defensemen Chris Pronger, we thought we'd take a look at how the Flyers have fared with and without him since the beginning of last season.

By the way, in order from the start of the 2010-11 season (and including playoffs), he has missed 2 games, played 31, missed 13, played 15, missed 1, played 4, missed 21, played 3, missed 3, played 8, missed 6, played 5 and missed 4 and counting.

Their overall record and power play success are just two of the numbers that bear out his importance.

With

Pronger Without

Pronger

Games 66 50

Record 41-18-7 23-19-8

Goals/Game 3.29 3.02

Opp. Goals/Gm. 2.64 3.06

Power Play Pct. 19.9% 12.3%

Opp. PP Pct. 15.9% 19.6%

Posted by Bob Vetrone Jr.



Hunter hire might help Berube's cause

Wayne Fish Staff writer

There was a time when the notion of an ex-tough guy player running a National Hockey League team seemed ludicrous.

Scholarly types? Sure. Students of the game? No problem. Video gurus? Come on down.

But a career enforcer like Dale Hunter? Surely you jest.

Not anymore. This week the Washington Capitals, tired of coach Bruce Boudreau's act, went in a completely different direction by firing him and bringing in Hunter, second on the NHL's all-time penalty minute list behind only Dave "Tiger'' Williams.

The hiring continues a recent trend that started a few years back when the Tampa Bay Lightning, caught in the midst of ownership turmoil, enlisted ex-Flyer bruiser Rick Tocchet (10th on the all-time list) to rescue a sinking ship.

Tocchet wasn't given the resources to succeed and didn't survive. But Tocchet did some good things in his brief stay and that was apparently noted.

This season, the Florida Panthers decided to go with another ex-Flyer energy player, Kevin Dineen (38th on the all-time list), as their coach and all he's done is move his team (which is currently in the midst of an NHL-record 10-year playoff drought) to the top of the Southeast Division standings.

Already, Dineen is being mentioned as a Jack Adams Trophy (best coach) candidate.

Giving players like Tocchet, Dineen and Hunter a chance just might be opening the door for others who played the game as well with their fists as with their hands.

Which brings us to current Flyers assistant coach Craig Berube (7th on the all-time list).

Berube has stood behind the scenes as a key contributor to the success of both former coach John Stevens (Eastern Conference finals in 2008) and current coach Peter Laviolette (Stanley Cup finals in 2010).

It's no secret Berube, who has had some head coaching experience with the Phantoms, would like a shot at the NHL.

And now, with his good friend Hunter getting an opportunity in D.C., maybe someone will give "Chief'' (who resides with his family in New Hope) a shot.

"He (Hunter) wanted to pick the right time with a team he could have some success with,'' Berube said. "I think he's done it. He's going to tell you the way he thinks it is. He's got nothing to lose. He doesn't care

"If you're doing something that he doesn't think is right, not playing hard enough or not playing the right way, he will tell you. He will be direct about it. He's a player's coach, I think, but I think he's going to have them playing the right way.''

Which is exactly what Alexander Ovechkin & Co. might need at this point.

If you closely watch the Flyers bench during games, Berube will offer his two cents in a similar way. He might not approach it in the same vociferous way as Laviolette, but he will get his message across.

But Berube also makes it clear that the words have to be presented in a way that will be accepted. In this day and age, players do not follow blindly. They don't want to know just what, but why.

For ex-enforcers, who had to navigate that fine line of when to start something, it's a process they understand. Berube says there has to be a purpose to any sort of verbal exchange.

"You still have to do things the right way to keep your players motivated,'' Berube said. "You can't criticize and be so up in their face that they don't want to come to the rink. That's not what it's all about.

"So you have to find a way to get it through to these guys that this is the way we're going to do it if we want to win. Benching Ovechkin (which Boudreau did), I don't know, he's your captain, it's embarrassing to him and they don't forget that stuff.''

Maybe in the past there was a stigma, a stereotype that most fighters weren't the brightest lightbulbs in the room. But Dineen, and soon perhaps Hunter, might be changing that by the thoughtful way they get their opinions across.

"There are certain people that have a way of telling people that they're doing something wrong,'' Berube said. "And the player accepts what you told him because the way you told him. Some guys just have that.''

Berube might be one of them. His coaching star appears to be on the rise. If the Flyers ever make another serious run at the Cup, his name no doubt will come up in rumors for a head position.

Would success by Dineen and Hunter help open the door?

"Maybe,'' Berube conceded. "I do want to coach someday. I don't know if that (Dineen-Hunter) has anything to do with it. I believe my time will come when it comes. But I'm not pushing, promoting myself. I like it here. When the time is right, it will happen, I really believe that.''

Hey, don't forget that way back in 1988, no one thought that a young assistant named Paul Holmgren (92nd on the all-time list) was ready to replace the great Mike Keenan, either.

But he did.

And now Holmgren is Berube's boss and one of his biggest supporters.

"Dale has waited a long time, too,'' said Berube. "Sometimes you have to wait for good things to happen. It definitely helps when your team has success and you're part of it. They say, ‘Look, they're doing something good there, maybe he would be a good choice.'

"I think that has something to do with it.''

Wayne Fish:

Burlington County Times LOADED: 12.03.2011


Giroux's overtime blast completes a Flyers comeback

By The Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Claude Giroux scored 3:29 into overtime and the Philadelphia Flyers rallied from a three-goal deficit for a 4-3 victory Friday night over the Anaheim Ducks, who collapsed in coach Bruce Boudreau's debut.



Delaware County Times LOADED: 12.03.2011


Flyers' Jagr continues pursuit of history

ANAHEIM, Ca. – Among the many records he is chasing this season, Jaromir Jagr needs just two goals to tie Brendan Shanhan for 11th place all-time.

Shanahan had 656 goals during his career. Jagr notched No. 653 in the second period against the Ducks with a power-play deflection and got No. 654 in the third period on the power play.

“I’m playing with good players and if I don’t get injured I’m pretty confident I can catch him,” Jagr said of Shanahan. “I’m not [in] game shape. It’s going to take time. Tomorrow will probably be worse with back-to-back games.”

Jagr has eight goals overall this season. This was his 116th career two-goal game and third of this season.

“In my mind, he’s still one of the top players in the league,” Kimmo Timonen said. “Hopefully, he stays healthy. He’s going to help us a lot down the road. We all know what he’d done in his life and his career.”

Streak ends

Jagr’s first goal also snapped the Flyers’ scoreless streak off 115 minutes, 24 seconds, dating back to 19:54 of second period against Montreal, a total of 65 shots.

First periods

The Flyers trailed after the first period for the fifth time in six games. They have been outscored 11-2 over that stretch. During the first 18 games of the season, the Flyers outscored opponents 27-14 in opening period.

Down three goals

The last time the Flyers came back from a three-goal or more deficit to win a game was Dec. 11, 2008 against Carolina. They trailed 5-1 after two periods and came back to win 6-5 in a shootout.

Loose pucks

Coach Peter Laviolette shortened his defense in the third period, going with his four veterans. … The Flyers outshot the Ducks, 47-22. It’s the first time they had more than doubled up their opponent in shots since Oct. 23, 2010 when they outshot Toronto 40-14 in a 5-2 victory. ... Claude Giroux won 12 of 18 faceoffs (66.7 percent) in the second and third periods after going 1 for 6 in the first period.



Flyers rally past Ducks for comeback victory in OT

ANAHEIM, Ca. -- A power play that’s been nothing but atrocious. No sweat.

A five-day break with no games and nothing but rust. No sweat.

Down three goals on the road. That’s almost impossible to overcome in the National Hockey League, right?

No sweat.

All of that happened to the Flyers Friday night as they rallied for a 4-3 overtime victory against the Ducks behind two goals from Jaromir Jagr and a game-winner from Claude Giroux.

“To be able to come back [down 3-0] on the road like that, it’s pretty fun,” Giroux said. “Guys don’t quit. We had a lot of energy and our guys can skate.”

The Flyers had a four-minute, 4-on-3 power play in overtime because Ryan Getzlaf argued his own tripping call and picked up an extra minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“It hurt our group… I’ll take that one me,” Getzlaf said.

Anaheim penalty killers sat back and the Flyers peppered away, scoring their third power play goal of the game for only the second time this season to decide it. They were 3 of 9.

“It’s been a while since we’ve made a difference [on the power play],” Giroux said. “We kept working on it and it paid off.

“We were trying to hit Jags, he’s pretty dangerous from there. We were trying to hit him. I think I got pretty lucky because the goalie was cheating on Jags a little bit. It was a nice pass from Danny [Briere].”

Jagr laughed, arguing that Briere and Giroux were playing “keep away” with him.

“What a liar,” Jagr said. “It’s tough to go with two French guys. They’re passing to each other while I’m open for four minutes there.

“I got to talk to coach. I need another Czech guy there. I’m not gonna get a pass from those guys.”

The Ducks had a 3-1 cushion on the Flyers going into the third period before Jagr’s second power play goal made it a one-goal affair on a two-man advantage for 56 seconds.

His goal amped the Flyers for the remainder of the game as they pressured goalie Jonas Hiller.

Scott Hartnell then tied it with his 10th goal at 16:58 on a feed from behind the net from Kimmo Timonen.

Five days between games is usually bad news for the Flyers, despite the fact they had banged up bodies that benefited from time off.

Still, the Ducks proceeded to out-everything the Flyers in the opening period. Anaheim was far more physical and got two very easy goals on Ilya Bryzgalov.

“The only thing I didn’t like in the first period was the score,” coach Peter Laviolette said of a 2-0 deficit. “I thought shots, chances and couple tough breaks.

“Then we got better in the second and better in the third. I was glad to see that we were resilient. I thought it was a good game. I just didn’t like the scoreboard.”

Andrew Cogliano’s power play goal was simply the result of Bryzgalov trying to

poke check the puck in the paint off the rush and missing it as it went five-hole at 8:12 for a 1-0 lead.

“He beat me by a split-second and was faster than me,” Bryzgalov said. “We didn’t give up. We didn’t quit. We played hard… eventually, it paid off.”

Two minutes later, Teemu Selanne snuck in behind Braydon Coburn in front of the

net and took a quick pass from Saku Koivu to make it 2-0.

“The score was bad but I didn’t think we played that bad,” Jagr said. “Some shifts we cycled the puck well. It was a matter of time before something went in.”

The Flyers went 0 for 3 with the man advantage that period but that would change.

Bryzgalov had a terrific glove snare on Selanne late in the period but the interesting thing was that the Ducks took liberties on the Flyers. Francois Beauchemin buried Zac Rinaldo in neutral ice while Matt Beleskey went high with his elbow on Couturier in the corner.

That resulted in a major scrum but no major penalties on the Ducks -- just a roughing call and two-minute boarding on Beleskey.

“The first period was pretty embarrassing,” Giroux said. “We didn’t play the way we wanted to. Bryz kinda kept us in the game.

“They came out pretty strong. Obviously, they have pretty good players who can put the puck in the net and we made a couple mistakes but we regrouped as a team.”

Not before it got a little worse.

Andrew Gordon’s only NHL goal before tonight came under Bruce Boudreau, Anaheim’s new coach, in Washington.

Well, Gordon made it 3-0 at 6:31, picking off a juicy rebound in the slot and shooting the puck off Marc-Andre Bourdon’s skate, just inside the right post on Bryzgalov.

Then the comeback began. Jagr, back in the lineup after sitting out four of the last six games with a groin pull, got the Flyers on the board at 15:18 with a power play deflection off Timonen’s shot from above the circle. It was Jagr’s first goal since Nov. 5 against Columbus.

“The one power play we had so many chances, like three of them and didn’t score,” Jagr said. “We knew if we had a chance it was going to go in. That’s what we need. Play like that to get the confidence.”

It was also the Flyers' first power play goal since Nov. 23 against the Islanders.

“He was terrific and their line was terrific,” Laviolette said.

Jagr now has eight goals this season and 654 for his career. The right wing needs two goals to tie Brendan Shanahan for 11th all-time.



Flyers' Walker won't play vs. Ducks

December 2, 2011, 8:55 pm

ANAHEIM, Ca. -- Surprise! Matt Walker arrived late Thursday night but he will not play this evening against the Ducks, after all.

Every indication yesterday was that Walker, a veteran who cleared re-entry waivers, would replace rookie Kevin Marshall in the lineup but that is not the case.

Jaromir Jagr (groin pull) is back after missing four of the last six games. James van Riemsdyk (upper body) remains out. He can barely bend over when he is on the ice because of pain.

Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov will play against the team he won a Stanley Cup with in 2007. Coach Peter Laviolette refused to bite on the suggestion that how Bryz plays tonight could influence who goes Saturday night in Glendale, Arizona when the Flyers take on the Phoenix Coyotes.

Also, Brayden Schenn, who has been recovering from a broken left foot but was also a healthy scratch the previous two games, will return to the lineup. He will play on a line with Max Talbot and Jakuk Voracek.

Enforcer Jody Shelley will sit this one out.



Flyers' best and worst of the week

JAY GREENBERG

Winners and sinners from the Flyers’ week:

Best

Response of the Year: Peter Laviolette’s locker room paint-peeling after the first period of the Montreal game. Considering that Chris Pronger, James van Riemsdyk and Jaromir Jagr were feeling bad enough to be in street clothes, it would up being a feel-good win.

Save: Sergei Bobrovsky across to stop Erik Cole in alone with six minutes to play against the Canadiens. Stopped the rebound, too.

Shot: Claude Giroux was almost at the bottom of the circle when he one-timed a carom before Montreal goalie Carey Price could come across.

Decision: Getting Chris Pronger’s knee fixed now when problem only was going to get worse.

Flyer: Kimmo Timonen.

Optimistic way to look at Pronger’s ongoing woes: Eventually he is going to run out of body parts that need fixed. The law of averages is on his side.

Worst

Anxiety: Tests still not finding anything wrong with Pronger while “virus” symptoms persist.

Goal: Sergei Bobrovsky juggled Ryan McDonagh’s softie from the point, enabling Carl Hagelin’s insurance goal in New York.

News: Bodies found in Pronger’s knee, looser than the Flyers in their own end sometimes without him.

Missed opportunity: A broken wrist has denied 22-year-old Erik Gustafsson an opportunity to prove himself an upgrade over Andreas Lilja.

Need: An experienced defenseman with Pronger, Gustafsson and Lilja out for at least a month.

Dropoff in play after encouraging start: Wayne Simmonds.

Scheduling: Six days off, followed by four games in six nights in three time zones.

Jay Greenberg covered the Flyers for 14 years for the Daily News and Evening Bulletin. His history of the Flyers, Full Spectrum, was published in 1996. He can be reached at [email protected].



Walker clears waivers, set to play vs. Anaheim

December 2, 2011, 12:37 pm

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — As expected, defenseman Matt Walker cleared re-entry waivers on Friday morning and is expected to be the Flyers' lineup tonight in Anaheim against the Ducks.

Walker carried a $1.7 million salary cap hit and has another year on his deal, both of which made it unlikely he was going to be plucked off waivers.

An interesting stat about tonight's game as newly-hired Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau makes his Anaheim debut.

The Flyers are 6-6-4 against him. Nine of those 16 games were decided by one goal and seven of 16 went past regulation play.

Could be a long night at Honda Center.



Bourdon to man blue line with Carle

December 2, 2011, 12:26 pm

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Marc-Andre Bourdon likes to ask questions. Lots of questions.

Which is just fine with his temporary defensive partner, Matt Carle.

“When I first started playing with Prongs, he was a veteran guy and I was a young guy with a lot of questions,” Carle said.

“It’s a good sign that these guys ask questions and they are not just quiet. They’re trying to get better every day.”

Barring a last-minute shuffle, Bourdon is expected to play alongside Carle tonight when the Flyers meet the Ducks in Anaheim. The two have been paired in three of four games lately, with Carle’s usual partner, Chris Pronger, out of the lineup.

“I just want to make sure I know everything, like where I need to be and how to do some stuff,” said Bourdon, the 22-year-old rookie defenseman.

“Some things are different here than back [with the Phantoms]. I want to make sure I know everything and not get caught in a situation on the ice where I’m not supposed to be there. Make sure I know the systems. I ask questions of everybody. I see this as a chance to get better and upgrade my game.”

The 6-foot, 206-pound bearded blue liner was the Flyers third-round pick in 2008 — 67th overall. When Bourdon came up from the Phantoms on Nov. 21, he assumed it was a short term stay because of Pronger’s viral infection.

Now Pronger will miss a month rehabbing from knee surgery on top of a lingering virus.

“I thought it was for maybe one or two games and then the injuries came and I might have more time here than I thought,” Bourdon said. “So I’ll do everything hard and make the best of it and maybe I can stay longer, I don’t know.

“I was pretty nervous in my first, three games, especially when it came to Montreal. People were watching. The last game in New York I wasn’t as nervous.”

He’s played very well in four games, though coach Peter Laviolette does not use him on special teams.

Bourdon has had four days with the Flyers out here on the West Coast in a more relaxed atmosphere to get to know his teammates. They team had a rookie dinner which cost Bourdon about $2,000 out of his own pocket.

“All the boys hung out together and it makes it a bit easier now because I know more about everyone on the team,” he said of feeling comfortable.

While it’s very true that general manager Paul Holmgren said recently that with Pronger out a month, the top four Flyers veteran defensemen — Carle, Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn and Andrej Meszaros — are going to have to suck it up for at least 12 games, it’s also true that Bourdon will see significant time with Carle.

“He’s really smart with the puck,” Bourdon said of Carle. “When he gets the puck on his side, he always attracts a guy and then he gives it to me so it gives me way more time.

“He always makes a smart play so there is no turnover. He never puts his partner in trouble … It helps me a lot because I have way more time when I receive the puck. I know he is always in good position for me.”

Carle was pretty candid in his assessment that the Flyers have gotten used to playing games without Pronger. Life goes on.

An extended look here for Bourdon can only help develop the kind of skills he’ll need if he’s ever to play regularly in the NHL.

“The first couple of games with those guys, they’ve been getting their feet wet,” said Carle, referring also to fellow rookie Kevin Marshall, who is also here.

“There’s ups and downs for everybody. Whether it is Kimmo or Prongs or myself or a rookie, who has four or five games. Learning the defensive position is one of the most difficult things.

“It’s a work in progress for Bourdon and Marshall. They’ve played well and have done a good job thus far. It’s a great opportunity for both of them.”

Marshall likely comes out of the lineup tonight now that Matt Walker has cleared re-entry waivers and was to have reported to the Flyers late Thursday night.



Tonight's game notes: Flyers at Ducks

December 2, 2011, 10:00 am

Flyers at Ducks, 10 p.m. on TCN

Records

Flyers: 13-7-3 (Third in Atlantic Division, Sixth in Eastern Conference)

Ducks: 7-13-4 (Fifth in Pacific Division, 14th in Western Conference

Previous games

The Flyers are coming off a 2-0 loss to the Rangers. It was the first of four straight road games for the orange and black. The Flyers will host the Rangers at Citizens Bank Park on Jan. 2 for the 2012 Bridgestone Winter Classic.

The Ducks ended their seven-game slide on Wednesday by beating the Canadiens 4-1. Coach Randy Carlyle was dismissed shortly after Wednesday's victory and Bruce Boudreau, who was fired by the Capitals two days prior, was named his replacement.

Who's hot?

Claude Giroux is leading the Flyers in goals (13), assists (16) and points (29). Giroux has two goals and five assists in his last four road contests.

For the Ducks, Corey Perry has a seven-game point streak, totaling five goals and five assists in that stretch.

Storylines

Boudreau will make his coaching debut with the Ducks Friday night when they host the Flyers.

The orange and black haven't played since Nov. 26 and look to bounce back from a sloppy 2-0 loss to the Rangers.

Each team remains without key veteran defenseman Flyers captain Chris Pronger and the Ducks' Lubomir Visnovsky both recover from injuries.

Injuries

Flyers: Chris Pronger (knee, virus), James van Riemsdyk (upper-body), Andreas Lilja (high ankle sprain), Erik Gustafsson (wrist), Blair Betts (lower-body).

Ducks: Dan Ellis (groin), Lubomir Visnovsky (finger), George Parros (torn left retina), Jason Blake (forearm laceration), Matt Smaby (thumb).

Sound off

Which Flyer will have the biggest impact against Anaheim?


598086 Phoenix Coyotes

Phoenix Coyotes' Kyle Turris solid in season debut

Center played nearly 12 minutes vs. Winnipeg, tallying four shots and going 6-for-6 on faceoffs

By Sarah McLellan - Dec. 2, 2011 06:41 PM

The Arizona Republic

The game was exactly how he left it.

The speed was frenetic, the passes were crisp, and finding open ice was a continual challenge.

Coyotes center Kyle Turris expected that, and had been waiting for the chance to compete in that. So when he made his season debut Thursday at Winnipeg Turris looked anything but out of place.

"It wasn't that bad, actually," he said. "I thought I'd be a little more rusty and not feel as good as I did. I don't know - I just kind of came in and had fun and tried to do what I could."

It was Turris' first game since he nixed his plan to hold out until the Coyotes traded him or gave him a huge salary increase. The Turris camp and the Coyotes agreed to a two-year deal last week, and the 22-year-old's fitness was up to par - so much that he didn't require a conditioning stint in the AHL.

He played 11 minutes, 58 seconds, firing a team-high four shots on net and going 6 for 6 on faceoffs in a 1-0 loss.

"I can get better everywhere," Turris said. "I think three-quarters of my draws, (Raffi) Torres won back for me, so I got to buy him a dinner to say thanks. But everything - from shooting, faceoffs - every aspect I can get better at."

Turris centered Torres and Patrick O'Sullivan on the fourth line, and it's likely he'll draw in again Saturday when the Coyotes host the Philadelphia Flyers. Coach Dave Tippett plans to gradually welcome Turris back to the NHL workload, but he does want to involve him in more special-teams situations, such as the power play.

What is unique about Turris' return is that it provides Tippett with something he didn't have this season - options at center. With Turris in the lineup, Kyle Chipchura and Cal O'Reilly are in the press box. Both have proved to be competent alternatives for the fourth line.

"Chemistry is very important to our group," Tippett said. "We can tweak things here and there with a player here and there, but the big thing for me is to have players fit in the right spots in the right roles doing the right jobs."

That philosophy will be especially important against the Flyers. The most-recent time they met, the Flyers eked out a 2-1 win by going ahead with 18 seconds left.

Tippett hopes the sting of that loss ratchets up the motivation among his players, but his team's success is predicated on chemistry and cohesiveness, and that is the main focus for this game.

"It'll be a little bit of an adjustment period just to see where everybody fits in," Tippett said. "At the end of the day, we'll be better for it."

Saturday's game

Flyers at Coyotes

When: 6 p.m.

Where: Jobing.com Arena.

TV/radio: FSAZ Plus/KGME-AM (910).

Flyers update: This is goalie Ilya Bryzgalov's first appearance in Glendale since his rights were traded from the Coyotes to the Flyers in June. Bryzgalov, however, might be a spectator for this one. He started Friday at Anaheim. Bryzgalov usually doesn't play in back-to-back games. In that case, Sergei Bobrovsky would be between the pipes. Despite having top defenseman Chris Pronger out of the lineup because of knee surgery, the

Flyers are a strong threat. Winger Claude Giroux entered Friday's game with a team-high 13 goals and 29 points.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 12.03.2011

598087 Pittsburgh Penguins

No punishment for head hit on Cooke

By Josh Yohe, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Saturday, December 3, 2011

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson's shot to Penguins left wing Matt Cooke's head Thursday night will not draw a penalty from the NHL.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma insisted Friday that Cooke's reputation for dirty play did not affect NHL discipline czar Brendan Shanahan's decision to hold a hearing with Carlson, let alone punish him.

"In no way, shape or form do I think his reputation plays into the decision at all," Bylsma said. "I don't think there's any kind of spite factor or anything. Not at all."

Cooke was not available for comment yesterday because he did not participate in the team's optional practice in advance of tonight's game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Bylsma confirmed that the hit did not injure Cooke but suggested the player wasn't thrilled about taking a shot to the head.

"Cooke is fine," Bylsma said.

After asked whether Cooke had any effects from the hit, Bylsma added: "Maybe emotionally."

With about four seconds remaining in the Penguins' 2-1 victory Thursday, Carlson delivered the hit as the Capitals were trying to move the puck out of their zone seeking one last scoring chance. Cooke skated toward puck carrier Nicklas Backstrom, and all three players ended up in the same patch of ice. Backstrom chipped the puck ahead and dodged contact, but Carlson collided with Cooke while extending his right arm, which appeared to make contact with Cooke's head.

NHL spokesman John Dellapina said yesterday that Carlson won't face a hearing -- and therefore can't be suspended.

"The Department of Player Safety reviewed it extensively," Dellapina said. "Its view was that Carlson didn't see Cooke until the last moment. He might even have been blocked by (Capitals left wing Alex) Ovechkin. When Carlson sees he's going to collide with Cooke, he cringes rather than leaning into him. ... The most troubling-looking moment is when Carlson flares his right arm. But that, in the DPS' view, was more an effort to ward off Cooke while getting up the ice."

The timing of Carlson's hit -- in the waning seconds with the outcome all but decided -- wouldn't be considered as grounds for punishment, Dellapina added.

"Given the time left and the score," he said, "it appears clear that Carlson is desperate to get up the ice for a last rush -- not to hit an opponent out of the play."

Carlson was curt with reporters in Washington when asked yesterday about whether he expected to face punishment.

"No," he said. "No."

Carlson was asked about the specifics of the hit, including whether his intent was to strike Cooke's head.

"No," he said. "No. I'm not talking about it."

Similar hits to the head this season have, at the least, resulted in hearings with Shanahan. Bylsma acknowledged that policing such hits isn't easy, but he also didn't seem pleased with Carlson's actions.

"I think there is a difference when there's a hit and elbows come out where the head is targeted," he said. "I think there is not so much of a gray area when we see that happen on the ice."

Tribune Review LOADED: 12.03.2011


Letang, Michalek will miss game

By Josh Yohe, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW


Penguins game day

at HURRICANES

7 p.m. today, RBC Center, Raleigh, N.C.

TV/radio: Root Sports/WXDX-FM (105.9), Penguins Radio Network

Season series: Carolina won the teams' first meeting, 5-3, on Nov. 12 in Raleigh.

Notable: For the second straight game, the Penguins face a team with a new coach. After defeating Dale Hunter-led Washington on Thursday, they'll meet the Hurricanes and Kirk Muller, who is 0-2 since replacing Paul Maurice on Monday.

-- The only news regarding injured Penguins defensemen Kris Letang and Zbynek Michalek is that they won't play tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes. Coach Dan Bylsma on Friday offered few other details regarding those players, who are dealing with head injuries. "Both Letang and Michalek are seeing doctors today and will not be joining us on the trip," he said. Neither player has been diagnosed with a concussion, but that hasn't been ruled out, either. "They'll be visiting the doctors," Bylsma said. "We'll maybe have a little more information (today)." Letang and Michalek were injured after taking hits last Saturday in Montreal.

-- Bylsma gave the Penguins the option to take a break yesterday, and most of them accepted his offer. Only six players -- goalie Brent Johnson, centers Richard Park and Joe Vitale, left wing Steve MacIntyre and defensemen Simon Despres and Robert Bortuzzo -- participated in the optional workout.

-- Bylsma skated with the six players and all three members of his coaching staff during the workout. The coach scored a goal before crashing into the boards at the end of the workout, but he wasn't hurt. "That was just my goal celebration," he said with a smile.

-- New Carolina coach Kirk Muller led his team through a lengthy practice, delaying the Penguins' workout by about 30 minutes.

Tribune Review LOADED: 12.03.2011


Hit on Penguins' Cooke ruled OK by league

By Dave Molinari, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Just about everyone seems to agree that Capitals defenseman John Carlson delivered a hard blow to the head of Penguins winger Matt Cooke in the waning seconds of the Penguins' 2-1 victory Thursday at Verizon Center in Washington.

There is, however, no consensus on whether the hit was intentional or whether it merited a fine or suspension from the league.

NHL executive Brendan Shanahan, who handles supplemental discipline for the league, ultimately concluded that no punishment was in order. And while Penguins coach Dan Bylsma never said whether he shared Shanahan's perspective, he was adamant that he does not believe Cooke's history of headhunting played a role in the way the NHL dealt with this case.

"In no way, shape or form do I think [Cooke's] reputation plays into the decision at all," Bylsma said. "He's on the receiving end of this. I don't think there's any kind of spite factor or anything. Not at all."

A member of the league's front office passed along this rationale for Shanahan's decision to not punish Carlson:

"Brendan reviewed the entire play from the moment the puck enters the Washington zone.

"The department of player safety's view is that, with barely enough time for one last rush, Carlson was desperate to join that rush. He doesn't even see Cooke coming toward him until the last minute [his view of Cooke is obscured by Ovechkin until the last moment] and he actually cringes to avoid contact if you can pause it when they're a couple of feet apart.

"The worst-looking part of the play is when Carlson flares out his right arm. But he does that as he's past Cooke, in a 'get out of my way, I have to get up ice' kind of way."

Cooke did not participate in the optional skate Friday at the Carolina Hurricanes practice facility -- only six players did -- so his views on the incident aren't known.

Asked if Cooke was suffering any effects from the hit, Bylsma responded, "He's fine."

He then smiled, stifled a chuckle and added, "Maybe emotionally."

Carlson declined to discuss the hit with reporters in Washington.

Letang, Michalek out

Bylsma said that it still has not been determined whether Kris Letang and/or fellow defenseman Zbynek Michalek has a concussion, but ruled both out of the game tonight against Carolina.

He added that he expects to have more information on the conditions of both today.

While the Penguins have an edge on the Hurricanes in a lot of areas, team health isn't one of them.

Carolina enters the game having lost just 23 man-games to injury and illness, while the Penguins have lost 112.

Light workout

The Penguins practice was made optional a short time before it was scheduled to begin.

Bylsma joked that he did it so that reporters "wouldn't question why so many guys weren't on the ice," but health issues apparently were a major factor in the decision.

"Bumps and bruises for some players who probably were going to get 'maintenance days,' " Bylsma said. "We basically had a handful of 'maintenance days' and an optional for the rest of the group."

The only players to go on the ice were forwards Richard Park, Joe Vitale and Steve MacIntyre, rookie defensemen Robert Bortuzzo and Simon Despres and goalie Brent Johnson.

It's never a bad idea for young players such as Despres and Bortuzzo to show up for optionals, but both got good reviews for their performance against Washington.

"They were playing in a tough spot," Bylsma said. "It's a tough building, it's a big game. There's a little bit of an intimidation and awe factor when you look over and see great players on the other side, with highlights skill.

"In that setting, in that context, they went out and played a very confident game. They looked aggressive. They defended well. You have to give them a lot of credit for their composure."

Bortuzzo, who had appeared in just one NHL game before this week, said he didn't mind facing talented forwards such as the ones he had to deal with against the New York Rangers and Capitals "It's an amazing feeling playing against guys like that," he said. "So I would never complain about a situation like this."

Tryout ends

The minor league team in Wilkes-Barre released former NHL forward Niko Dimitrakos from his 25-game professional tryout agreement.

Dimitrakos, 32, had six goals and four assists in 21 games with the Baby Penguins.

He was a fifth-round draft choice for San Jose in 1999 and has played in 158 NHL games with the Sharks and Philadelphia.

Post Gazette LOADED: 12.03.2011


More to Penguins' Orpik than just statistics

By Dave Molinari, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

RALEIGH, N.C. -- There are a lot of ways to evaluate hockey players.

If you're looking to assess an offensive guy, for example, goals and assists are a pretty good place to start.

After all, when your primary job is to score, those statistics offer pretty solid evidence of how well you do it.

It's not so simple with a defensive defenseman such as Brooks Orpiks of the Penguins, though.

Today

Game: Penguins at Carolina Hurricanes, 7:08 p.m.

TV: Root Sports.

Ice time -- especially if there aren't many power-play minutes in there -- can provide a little insight, because it reflects the level of confidence the coach has in a player.

It is significant, then, that Orpik is averaging 18 minutes, 41 seconds of even-strength ice time per game, more than any Penguins defenseman except Kris Letang (19:21). And that Orpik is averaging 3:02 of short-handed work, more than anyone on their blue line except Zbynek Michalek (4:07).

But even though he's doing pretty nicely in a few other defense-oriented statistics, such as hits and blocked shots, Orpik doesn't use them to evaluate his work.

Not because he doesn't appreciate the importance of playing the body or stopping pucks before they reach the goaltender, but because there is little consistency in the way such stats are recorded.

"That stuff is different in every building, so I don't really pay too much attention to it," he said. "There are some buildings where you have to run a guy over to get a hit, and there are others where you can bump into a guy. ... Especially stuff like that, blocked shots or hits, I don't think you can ever pay attention to that."

For the record, Orpik leads the Penguins in hits (57), despite missing eight of their first 26 games, and is fifth in blocked shots (27) as they prepare to face Carolina at 7:08 p.m. today at RBC Center.

Pretty fair numbers, but even assistant coach Todd Reirden, who oversees the defense, doesn't point to them when discussing Orpik's value. Rather, he cites things that can't be found on any conventional stat sheet.

"Puck retrievals, for him, are a huge indication [of how well he's playing], when he goes back for pucks and is moving his feet," Reirden said. "His skating is very underrated, throughout the league. I think he's one of the better skaters, from a defensive standpoint."

The Penguins are missing two of their top four defensemen, Letang and Michalek, because of injuries from blows to the head in a 4-3 overtime victory a week ago in Montreal.

Orpik and Reirden agree that their absences don't really alter Orpik's job description, but that being without them will add to his playing time.

In theory, probably.

"A couple of games ago, he played 28, with both of those guys in the lineup," Reirden said. "When Brooks is going his best, he'll get ice time that's 22 (minutes) and above."

Orpik serves as an alternate captain, and is being cast as a role model for the two young defensemen, Robert Bortuzzo and Simon Despres, who were summoned from the minor league team in Wilkes-Barre after Letang and Michalek were hurt.

"His role, with the two guys out right now, is very important for the development of these young players," Reirden said. "How he does things, he's so professional, both on and off the ice.

"With his preparation, with how he takes care of his body, how he eats. Everything he does is what I've told [Bortuzzo and Despres] to watch."

Reirden probably isn't going to advise them to study Orpik's offensive technique at length -- the guy only has 97 points in 530 career games -- although he seems convinced that Orpik can be more of a force in the attacking zone.

Perhaps he feels that way because it wouldn't take much to upgrade Orpik's output; his personal bests for goals (2), assists (23) and points (25) don't exactly invite comparison to, say, Paul Coffey's numbers.

"We may joke about it and stuff, but he's a guy who shoots the puck well," Reirden said. "I'd like to have him continue to support the rush and create some more offense as the season goes along. It is the biggest area of growth he has to make in his game."

Orpik has two goals and two assists in 18 games in 2011-12, so that offensive potential remains largely untapped at this point.

That doesn't figure to trouble Orpik much, though. He obviously wouldn't mind putting up some more points, he never has been one to rely on numbers to assess his play.

"I think it's tough to judge my game off stats," Orpik said. "I know when I've played well."

Post Gazette LOADED: 12.03.2011

598091 San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks have two wishes for NHL realignment plan

By David Pollak

[email protected]

Posted: 12/02/2011 09:00:42 PM PST

Updated: 12/02/2011 09:52:34 PM PST

General manager Doug Wilson said Friday the Sharks are hoping to see two things in whatever realignment plan the NHL ends up with when the board of governors tackles the contentious topic at its meetings next week in Pebble Beach.

A home-and-home series every season between Western and Eastern conference teams, something that would mean an additional six road games in cities with a three-hour time difference.

The continued presence of the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference.

The Sharks' desire to keep Detroit in the conference is no surprise because the teams have developed a strong rivalry with five postseason clashes. But supporting added trips across the continent may not seem to be in San Jose's best competitive or financial interests.

"We think our fans would really appreciate the home-and-home series -- even if it meant a little more travel to us, if that was taken into consideration on how you build those trips," Wilson said in outlining the franchise's position.

That last point was an indirect reference to geographically troublesome trips such as the one San Jose took in October that began in New Jersey, finished 13 miles away in New York City -- and had stops in Boston, Nashville and Detroit along the journey.

Requiring more nonconference games also could narrow the mileage gap between teams in the East, which travel far less than those in the West.

But Wilson's main point was that

guaranteed home games against every team would give fans in San Jose the chance to see players such as Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin every year, something that doesn't happen under the current system.

While spelling out his team's preferences, Wilson also was careful to note that the Sharks will be there with ears open.

"We're interested in hearing other people's opinions," he said. "This is why you go to a board of governors meeting."

Realignment became necessary when the Atlanta Thrashers were sold in May and moved to Winnipeg. That was too late to do anything about the current schedule and keeps Winnipeg in the Southeast Division, but a change was mandated.

Friday, the Canadian TV network and website Sportsnet reported that two plans would be submitted to the governors. One would be a simple swap with Winnipeg moving to the West and Detroit to the East.

The other would be a major restructuring to four divisions, two in the East and two in the West. The Sharks would occupy the same division as Los Angeles, Anaheim, Phoenix, Colorado, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.

But it might not be an either-or choice. Nashville and Columbus also have been trying to make a case that they belong in the East while Dallas has been looking for a way out of the current Pacific Division while remaining in the West.

Wilson declined to comment on the Sportsnet report.

"We'll see it when we get there on Monday. You look at it from your point of view, and you hear everybody else's," he said. "But there are also things to me that are realities that you can look at. Maybe there's a little burden for everybody to do something that really benefits the game."

Two-thirds of the NHL's 30 teams must approve any realignment. The league had hoped to resolve the issue before its Pebble Beach meetings conclude Tuesday, but that is no longer considered a hard deadline.

Saturday night the Sharks face the Florida Panthers, one of the nine Eastern Conference teams coming to HP Pavilion this season.

These Panthers bear little similarity to the team that hasn't made the playoffs in more than a decade. Florida has 30 points in 25 games -- third most in their conference and one more than the Sharks.

Florida's entire top line has put up more points than any Shark with Kris Versteeg totaling 26, Tomas Fleischmann 24 and Stephen Weiss 23.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 12.03.2011


San Jose Sharks report for Saturday's game vs. Florida Panthers

By David Pollak

[email protected]

Posted: 12/02/2011 06:56:13 PM PST

Updated: 12/02/2011 09:45:58 PM PST

SHARKS VS. FLORIDA

Faceoff: 7:30 p.m. at HP Pavilion

TV/Radio: CSNCA, 98.5, 102.1, 92.5

Panthers update: Leading the Southeast Division, Florida is a much improved team as G.M. Dale Tallon's many moves are paying off under new coach Kevin Dineen. ... Ex-Shark Brian Campbell -- whom Tallon first brought to Chicago in his previous job with the Blackhawks, then acquired for the Panthers last summer -- has 20 points. ... Florida has beaten the Sharks by one goal in each of their last three meetings, once in overtime.

Sharks update: Coach Todd McLellan on Friday praised the work of LW Jamie McGinn, who scored his third goal of the season in San Jose's 4-3 shootout victory over Montreal on Thursday. "It's been pretty simple," McLellan said. "He's using his speed and size on the forecheck, he's going to the blue paint and he's good defensively." McGinn cited C Michal Handzus' role in their line's success: "He slows things down ... and makes me kind of pick my spots so I'm not running out of control."

Panthers injuries: C Marcel Goc (concussion), RW Matt Bradley (upper body) and C Scottie Upshall (hip) are out; RW Kris Versteeg (nose) and LW Mikael Samuelsson (groin) are questionable.

Sharks injuries: G Antero Niittymaki (hip) is out.

-- DAVID POLLAK

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 12.03.2011


Bruce Boudreau gets fresh start as Ducks coach

Jake Leonard


Think of Bruce Boudreau as the Don Nelson of hockey.

Former player gone a bit pudgy, fills a room with his personality, knows offense and wins a ton in the regular season.

That makes Boudreau a good hire for the Ducks, who announced Wednesday - two days after the Capitals fired him - that he was taking over for Randy Carlyle, who led the team to the Stanley Cup in 2007.

Anaheim needs to turn around an offense that ranked 29th through Thursday in goals per game (2.21) despite featuring three players - Corey Perry, Teemu Selanne and Ryan Getzlaf - who were in the league's top 10 in points per game last season. And it needs to start winning, in a hurry, after a 7-13-4 start.

Boudreau can help do both, as long as he abandons his recent ill-advised pursuit of a more defensive system, which took Washington from first in the league in goals in 2009-10 to 19th last season without the intended benefit of making the Caps a better playoff team.

The shift was an overreaction to tough seven-game playoff losses to Montreal and Pittsburgh in 2009 and 2010. Not to say those were flukes, but a few pucks break the other way those years, and the Capitals might have won it all. Last year, when Washington was swept by Tampa Bay in the second round, that wasn't the case.

Still, like Nellie, and unlike Carlyle, that will be the question with Boudreau: Can he win when it matters?

Around the league

-- Have to wonder whether Washington wouldn't rather have Carlyle as its coach than rookie coach Dale Hunter. The Caps need a stern hand and a guy who knows how to win in the playoffs - that's Carlyle, but there's a chicken/egg-type logic problem in there: If they hadn't fired Boudreau, would Carlyle have been available?

-- The league confirmed that the Board of Governors will try to make a decision on realignment when it meets in Pebble Beach on Monday and Tuesday, and the Canadian TV network Sportsnet reports that there are two plans under consideration.

The first is the quick fix: Detroit moves to the Southeast Division, Winnipeg to the Central.

The second is total realignment into four divisions. The Sharks would play in a division with Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Anaheim, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Colorado. Under that plan, the playoffs would begin with a division semifinal, then a division final, before the conference finals and the Stanley Cup Finals.

A divisional-playoff system, which the league used from 1982 to 1993, fosters great and bitter rivalries, and in the Sharks' case, it could really set fire to a rivalry with the Kings, as it did for the "Battle of Alberta" between 1983 and '88, when Calgary and Edmonton met in the Smythe Division final four times in six seasons and the winner went on to the Stanley Cup Finals each time.

It'd be great to get back to those types of rivalries, but never bet against the quick fix.

-- Former NHL goalie Kevin Weekes put the Sharks fifth in goalie rankings he does for Canadian network CBC, providing this bit of analysis: "Antti Niemi is back in a big way, (and) Thomas Greiss has been nice when called on. He looks very smooth with his movement in the net and reminds me of Johan Hedberg."

That serves as a bit of affirmation that general manager Doug Wilson got it right, not emptying the team's pockets to fill the net.

San Jose is paying Niemi $3.2 million, Greiss $550,000 and soon-to-be-returning Antero Niittymaki $2 million.

Meanwhile, two of the three highest-paid goalies in the league are playing their ways out of jobs. Philadelphia is paying Ilya Bryzgalov $10 million, and he had an .897 save percentage going into Friday night's game against the Ducks, which was slated to be his first start since Nov. 23. And Vancouver is paying $6.7 million to Roberto Luongo, who has an .892 save percentage and hasn't started since Nov. 13. Top-five-paid goalies Ryan Miller (Buffalo) and Cam Ward (Carolina) also are having down seasons.

-- In other rankings released this week, Forbes had the Sharks 16th on its NHL franchise value list, at $211 million, up 11 percent from last year. Toronto was No. 1 at $521 million, Phoenix No. 30 at $134 million. Biggest surprise: St. Louis - a good team in a good-size market that has sold out nine of its 11 home games this season - ranked 27th at $157 million.

West power rankings

1. Detroit: Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard looks like the best bet to challenge Boston's Tim Thomas in the Vezina race this season.

2. Los Angeles: The Kings had really struggled against top-tier teams before Monday's 2-0 win over the Sharks.

3. San Jose: With the depth-challenged Stars struggling through injuries, expect the Kings and Sharks to leave the Pacific Division in their dust in the next month.

4. Chicago: If goalie Corey Crawford continues playing as he has, the Blackhawks need to find a midseason replacement.

Keep an eye on: St. Louis. The Blues were 8-1-2 under coach Ken Hitchcock heading into Friday's game against Colorado, and today, winger David Perron is set to make his season debut, which could revitalize a slumping second line. It'll be great to see Perron back after missing 13 months with a concussion, sustained on a hit by Sharks captain Joe Thornton.

What to watch this week

Detroit at St. Louis, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday on Versus: The Wings and Blues are both red-hot right now.

San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 12.03.2011


Clowe's late goal helps lift S.J.

Staff and news services

Friday, December 2, 2011

Sharks coach Todd McLellan did a bit of line-tinkering for Thursday's game, and it paid off.

McLellan switched Logan Couture into Patrick Marleau's usual spot on Ryane Clowe's line, and Clowe scored his first goal in nearly a month, a one-timer over Carey Price's right shoulder to tie the game 3-3 with 1:26 left in regulation. The Sharks went on to beat the Canadiens 4-3 in a shootout, their sixth straight win at home against Montreal

It was Clowe's first goal since Nov. 3, when he tied a game against the Penguins 3-3 with 1:25 left, and Couture recorded his first multiple-point game since Nov. 5.

Martin Havlat started the winning play with a shot off the rush from the right point. Couture was there for the rebound, but Price poke checked the puck off Couture's stick, right onto Clowe's stick in the slot.

"They did a lot of scoring for us tonight and we're real happy about that," McLellan said of the Clowe-Couture-Havlat line. "It was nice to see."

Joe Pavelski beat Price with a forehand wrist shot in the sixth round of the shootout, and Antti Niemi sealed the win by getting his pad out just in time to stop P.K. Subban's backhand attempt.

Jamie McGinn also scored and Niemi made 29 saves for the Sharks, who avoided matching a season-worst three-game losing streak. The Canadiens have lost four in a row, a streak that appeared to be near an end when Erik Cole knocked a loose puck past Niemi to give the Canadiens a 3-2 lead with 11:14 to go.

Briefly: Canadiens winger Max Pacioretty, whose parents grew up in the Bay Area, served the second game of his three-game suspension for an illegal head hit on Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang, disappointing about 35 family members who bought tickets. ... Michal Handzus returned to the Sharks' lineup after missing Monday's game with an illness.

San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 12.03.2011

598095 St Louis Blues

Perron's return is special for the Blues

Bernie Miklasz bjmiklasz@ post-dispatch.com 314-340-8192 | Posted: Saturday, December 3, 2011 12:50 am

Five opinions:

1. Welcome back, David Perron. The young Blues winger makes his long-awaited comeback tonight at Scottrade Center against the Blackhawks. There's something special about Perron, who is so skilled and charismatic. Perron's appearance should be one of the most poignant moments of the Blues' season.

There is an inherent joy to Perron's game; he's bold and expressive and never lacking in confidence. We can only imagine what it was like for Perron to have the joy knocked out of him by a brutal, cowardly cheap shot to the head, delivered by San Jose's Joe Thornton.

Perron hasn't been able to play the game he loves for nearly 400 days, but his head is finally clear. Perron will never get that year back, but at 23 he still has a long career ahead of him. And we look forward to watching Perron make up for lost time. Hopefully, he'll supply an immediate boost to the St. Louis power play.

2. Want to know why the Rams are 15-60 since the start of the 2007 season? Much of the failure is directly related to weak drafts. Beginning in 2008, when Billy Devaney worked his first draft at Rams Park, the Rams have selected 34 players and only 18 are still with the organization.

I wanted to see how that compared to the last three teams to win the Super Bowl. Of the 33 players picked by Pittsburgh since '08, 19 remain with the team. In New Orleans, 14 of 22 picks since '08 are still Saints. And the best is Green Bay: Of the team's 34 draft picks since '08, 26 are still Packers.

Think about that for a moment: the Rams, a squad that has more losses and roster holes than any NFL team, have less to show from the last four drafts than three of the NFL's elite franchises. Compared to the Rams, Green Bay, New Orleans and Pittsburgh haven't had as many jobs to offer rookies, but more of their draft choices claimed roster spots. And that's even with the Rams having the built-in advantage of drafting early in the round compared with the Packers, Saints and Steelers. It's sickening.

3. Shad Khan, who tried to buy the Rams, will be a popular owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars. In a few years it will be interesting to compare the Jags to the Rams, and Khan to Rams owner Stan Kroenke, to see which town ended up with the better owner.

4. The Rams continue to waste Steven Jackson's career. In a five-game stretch beginning Oct. 16, Jackson averaged 23.4 rushing attempts and nearly 27 touches per contest. Jackson averaged 136.4 scrimmage yards a game, and the Rams went 2-3. In the last two games, Jackson has averaged only 16 carries, 19 touches and 69.5 yards. And the Rams resumed losing. Makes no sense.

5. We're pleased to see Cardinals manager Mike Matheny add John Mabry to the big-league staff as an assistant hitting coach. Mabry is a smart baseball man and a class act. Mabry will fit right in with Mark McGwire, and he'll work hard to help Cardinals hitters. Moreover, Matheny and Mabry are close and the rookie manager needs to have a trusted confidant on his staff.

Reading Time, 3 Minutes

A happy 100th birthday today to the amazing, enduring and legendary Amadee Wohlschlaeger, the iconic Post-Dispatch cartoonist who came to work for the newspaper in 1929. Amadee drew the front page Weatherbird for 50 years starting in 1932. Generations of St. Louisans treasured the Amadee sports cartoons that he debuted in the 1930s, and he gained a national following through his work for The Sporting News. Amadee resides in the Mari de Villa home on Clayton Road and is doing great. I believe Amadee would want us to let everyone know that he still enjoys a scotch at dinner every evening.

We're saddened to learn of the passing of Dave Anderson, the longtime cameraman for Fox Sports Midwest and a familiar, beloved presence during Cardinals games at Busch Stadium. Anderson, 54, succumbed to cancer.

Known as "Big Dog," Anderson was superb at his job and a pleasure to be around. It won't be the same to look around the ballpark or Scottrade Center and not see him manning a camera. Our deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Does agent Dan Lozano really believe he's fooling intelligent people when he leaks and spins to his media pals that the Cubs and Albert Pujols have legit interest in each other? Hysterical. ... Alex Gonzalez, a possible free-agent target for the Cardinals, was ranked No. 1 defensively among major-league shortstops by John Dewan's Fielding Bible system in 2011. But Gonzalez has a career .291 on-base percentage, with high strikeout totals. ... Cardinals third baseman David Freese will be in attendance today when former teammate Colby Rasmus marries longtime girlfriend Megan Hudson in Columbus, Ga.

Given that he's limping around on a bad ankle, does it make sense to expose QB Sam Bradford to a beating Sunday in San Francisco? According to the statisticians at Pro Football Focus, the 49ers have the second-best pass rush in the NFL this season. And though he's already missed two games, Bradford still is tied for No. 1 on this list for most times sacked (32) this season, and he's been knocked down 33 additional times, and hurried 91 times. ... The Rams are 4-23 vs. the NFC West since the start of the 2007 season, and 7-32 since the start of '05. Imagine how gruesome the record would be if the Rams were housed in a tough division.

Congrats to our town's talented Taylor Twellman, who has been elevated to the role of lead analyst on ESPN's broadcasts of MLS and U.S. men's national team soccer matches. Twellman, one of the most prolific goal scorers in MLS history, retired as a player (for the New England Revolution) last year following a series of concussions. ... St. Louisan Bradley Beal (Chaminade) already is making an impact as a freshman guard at Florida; through the first six games he was leading the No. 10 Gators in minutes played and averaging 17 points and 6.5 rebounds.

St. Louis U. basketball continues to receive praise after a 6-1 start. Writing on ESPN.com, Eamonn Brennan listed the Billikens as the biggest surprise in college basketball during the season's opening month. ... ESPN's Andy Katz tells us he thinks Missouri's basketball team has the potential to reach the Final Four this season. ... The Maryville U. men's basketball team, coached by Kevin Carroll, got off to a 4-0 start for the first time in the program's history.

No one should be surprised to see the Cardinals ease longtime trainer Barry Weinberg out of the major-league operation. It was inevitable as soon as Tony La Russa decided to retire. ... We'll see a lot of the Mizzou football alums, Justin Smith and Aldon Smith, as they chase the Rams around on Sunday. But we wanted to mention that another Missouri man, linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, is having an excellent season for the Atlanta Falcons. 'Spoon is grading out as the best overall player on the Atlanta defense this season.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.03.2011


Blues fall to Avalanche in shootout

By DAN O'NEILL • [email protected] > 314-340-8186 | Posted: Saturday, December 3, 2011 12:45 am

DENVER • The Blues have been changing their tune in recent weeks, turning around a stagnant start and climbing the obstacle-strewn standings of the Western Conference. On Friday, they came to another foreboding place, face to face with another ghost to vanquish.

This time, the exorcism didn't take. The Avalanche and the Pepsi Center continued their hold on as Colorado came from behind to tie the Blues and win an overtime shootout 3-2.

Ryan O'Reilly, the third Colorado shooter, beat Blues netminder Jaroslav Halak, to spell the difference. All three Blues shooters - Alex Steen, T.J. Oshie and Jamie Langenbrunner - failed to score.

The Pepsi Center has had bad karma for the Blues in recent seasons. The Avalanche had won seven consecutive games from the Note until dropping the final meeting of 2010-11 last April in St. Louis.

Still, their sinister streak remains fluid in Denver, where the Avs have won five consecutive games from the visiting Blues. Since leaving Quebec for Colorado, the Avs own a 36-19-6-1 home mark against the Blues

"We were playing great, then they got the tying goal and it turned into a little bit of a track meet," said Blues coach Ken Hitchcock. "We had great control of the hockey game, generating all kinds of second and third chances. But we couldn't get that goal to go up 3-1. We got caught on a long shift and didn't manage the puck very well ... and a shootout is a shootout."

For the Blues a shootout has been a goose egg so far; they 0 for three in such circumstances. The last successful trip to Colorado for the Blues came in a 1-0 victory April 12, 2009. Brad Boyes got the goal, Jay McKee got an assist and Chris Mason pitched the shutout.

Since Nov. 8, when Ken Hitchcock replaced Davis Payne behind the bench, the Blues had demonstrated a new "Hitch" in their stride. They skated through places like Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Washington and Columbus, collecting points at every stop.

They got a point in Colorado (12-13-1) as well. But the past came back to bite them, as the Avs twice rallied from one-goal deficits. Before arriving home early in the morning to play the Blackhawks tonight at Scottrade Center, the Blues (14-8-3) saw a four-game winning surge end.

In 12 games under Hitchcock, the Blues are 8-1-2 against the rest of the schedule, 0-0-1 in Colorado.

"We had a lot of good players tonight, we just couldn't extend the lead and it came back to haunt us," Hitchcock said.

The Blues got a 1-0 lead when defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk scored a power-play goal with 11:05 to play in the first. Both Shattenkirk and Stewart were returning to Colorado for the first time since being traded to the Blues in return for Erik Johnson and Jay McClement last February.

His third goal of the season put Shattenkirk at plus-17 since the trade. Johnson, also a defenseman, is minus-17 since and did not play against the Blues as he recovers from a groin injury.

Special teams promised to favor the Avs, who ranked third in the NHL in power-play efficiency and had 56 power-play points to 19 for the Blues coming in. But moments after killing a penalty to Roman Polak, the Blues cashed in with Shattenkirk picking a corner on netminder Semyon Varlamov.

Colorado answered about five minutes later. During sustained pressure in the Blues' end, O'Reilly set up Milan Hejduk for his ninth goal and a 1-1 tie with 6:05 remaining. Blues netminder Jaroslav Halak had little chance as Hejduk converted a pass out from behind the net. Later, Oshie directed the puck past Varlamov. But the goal was waved off immediately and a video review confirmed a kicking-motion ruling. Five minutes in, Halak made a save point blank on Matt Duchene. The Blues went the other way and, after Matt D'Agostini rang a goalpost, Patrik Berglund scored his first goal in nine games for a 2-1 lead.

Ian Cole kept the play alive, pinching deep into the corner. Stewart then got possession and threw the puck toward the front of the goal where Berglund directed it past Varlamov 5:39 into the period. It was Berglund's fifth goal of the season.

Both teams had big chances in the waning moments, but the game went to overtime. Halak made two outstanding saves as the Avs pushed. With 17 seconds remaining, Colorado's Ryan O'Byrne finally got a puck behind Halak. The red light went on and a goal was signaled. But a review showed Halak reached behind and swept the puck aside before it crossed the line.

"I was pretty sure it didn't go in," said Halak, who turned aside 33 shots. "They were celebrating, but too soon."



Blues' Perron returns to the lineup tonight

By JEREMY RUTHERFORD • [email protected] > 314-444-7135 | Posted: Saturday, December 3, 2011 12:35 am

In the 394 days since David Perron last played a game for the Blues, he has lost muscle, endurance, timing and shooting accuracy.

Yet leading up to tonight's highly anticipated return from a serious concussion, one trait never left Perron during his discouraging days waiting for headaches to clear, four-hour plane rides for treatment that ended with "wait and see," and other subtle reminders he wasn't in the lineup for 97 consecutive games.

"David's been through quite a bit," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said, "but the one thing that never wavered was his passion to get back on the ice."

In return for that passion, and perhaps more so his patience, the welcome that Perron is expected to receive from a standing-room-only crowd tonight at Scottrade Center, a crowd already hyper about a Saturday date with the Chicago Blackhawks, should be deafening. No. 57 will be back with 57 regular-season games remaining.

"I'm already a little bit nervous about it," said Perron, whose parents will travel from Sherbrooke, Quebec, to be in the stands tonight. "After missing 97 games, that's what it will do. It'll be really exciting. I think my teammates will be really helpful to me. The key for me is try and keep it simple and be engaged in the game, not think too much and just play my game."

The last time anyone saw his game, Perron was netting his fifth goal in the 10th game last season, helping the Blues to a 2-0 victory over San Jose on Nov. 4, 2010. But earlier in that game, the Sharks' Joe Thornton had leveled Perron at center ice, and although Perron returned to the game and scored, he would be diagnosed the next day with a concussion.

It was thought that Perron might return by the end of the season, then by the summer, then by training camp. Finally in September, he was symptom-free and cleared to rejoin the Blues.

Three weeks ago, Perron got the OK for full contact and slowly worked himself back into game shape.

After being frustrated early because his shooting accuracy was off, Perron fine-tuned it through repetition.

"When you don't play for so long, you start losing a little bit of (the details)," he said. "I've had a lot of good practices so far. I've tried to get out early and stay after practice to work with the goalie coach (Corey Hirsch) on my shooting and stuff like that with the goalies. We'll see how it goes in the first few games, but I feel as good as I'll feel in terms of the shooting."

This week, the Blues and Perron discussed him playing in tonight's game. Thursday, he received clearance from doctors.

"We're certainly convinced that he's put the proper work in and he's gone through all the steps necessary to deem himself ready for competition," Armstrong said. "I think probably the last two weeks, the coaching staff has really worked him after practice. They've done a lot of drills that are game-simulated to stimulate the contact that the body is going to be receiving. I'm very comfortable that he's ready to go."

So now, 25 games into the 2011-12 season, the Blues, who are in fifth place in the Western Conference, will add one of their top skilled players to their lineup. Perron has 53 goals and 131 points in 235 NHL games.

"When he has the puck, how hard he works ... the plays that he creates are ones that most guys wouldn't think about creating," Blues forward T.J. Oshie said. "It's exciting."

Added Armstrong: "It's probably our best 'free-agent signing' this year ... getting a healthy David Perron. We've waited a little bit into the season, but his talent and his skill-set is not easily replaceable in a lineup. I know when he gets in there, I think not only can he produce for himself, but be someone the other team is going to have to recognize when he's on the ice."

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said this week that he has no plan to ease Perron into the lineup. Some coaches have put top-line players on a lower line and given them less ice time at the start to get their feet wet after returning from a long-term injury.

"You can't do that," Hitchcock said. "He's a top-six forward, so if he's going to play, he's going to play. If he gives us the OK, there's no working him back in. You're in, you play. We're going to deal with him like he's a current player and he's just coming off training camp and go from there."

Hitchcock indicated that Perron would play with center Patrik Berglund and perhaps right winger Chris Stewart, who are averaging about 18 minutes a game. In 10 games last season, Perron averaged 18 minutes, 25 seconds of ice time.

"He's obviously not going to kill penalties, so he's not going to be a 20-minute player right off the hop," Hitchcock said. "But when you look this good at practice under these type of circumstances ... we've put him in every situation possible and with a lot of traffic and a lot of heat, and he's more than responded."

Perron welcomed Hitchcock's challenge Friday.

"We'll see how it goes in terms of penalties," Perron said. "If there are more power plays, that will probably determine my ice time more than anything else. (But) I'm just ready to get back in there, be another player and play my game as good as I can and bring some excitement to the game.

"It's been a long road obviously. I didn't expect it to be that long. I'm just glad to be back to 100 percent healthy now and ready to go."



Blues vs. Blackhawks: Matchup box

Posted: Saturday, December 3, 2011 12:00 am

BLUES VS. CHICAGO

When • 7 tonight Where • Scottrade Center

TV, radio • FSM, KMOX (1120 AM)

Blues preview • Brian Elliott will get the nod in goal tonight against the 'Hawks. Elliott has won six consecutive starts and leads the NHL with a 1.31 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage.

Blackhawks preview • Chicago is near the top of the NHL standings but has been inconsistent lately. The club went 3-3 on a recent six-game, nine-day road trip, then returned home Tuesday to lose 4-1 to Phoenix.

What to watch • Blues forward David Perron is expected to play on a line with Patrik Berglund and Chris Stewart tonight.

Injuries • Blues — D Carlo Colaiacovo (hamstring), LW Andy McDonald (head injury), D Kent Huskins (ankle) and RW B.J. Crombeen (shoulder), out. Blackhawks — None.

Jeremy Rutherford



Blues' Pietrangelo is feeling better, returns to work

By DAN O'NEILL • [email protected] > 314-340-8186 | Posted: Saturday, December 3, 2011 12:00 am

DENVER • Alex Pietrangelo acknowledged it was a bit disconcerting. He wasn't feeling right, had no energy. It wasn't a cold, not quite like influenza, not food poisoning. For lack of a better description, it was a "bug."

Pietrangelo, 21, had a nasty bout with mononucleosis and a ruptured spleen in 2008, a health setback that kept him out for months. So there was reason to be concerned, and good reason to be relieved Friday when Pietrangelo was back on the ice.

"We didn't know exactly what it was," Pietrangelo said. "At first, I was worried. But once I got with the doctors and everything, it was a breath of fresh air. It was just something that got in my system."

Pietrangelo sat out the Washington game earlier this week and remained questionable coming into the Colorado game. But after a couple of days of rest and treatment, he skated with the team Friday morning and gave a thumbs-up to playing.

"I'm fine," he said. "I've felt a little better each day."

Pietrangelo was beginning to assert himself offensively when the bug struck. He had goals in two of his last three games. He also was a plus-8 in his last eight games before the puck dropped at the Pepsi Center.

elliott tonight

Brian Elliott will be in goal tonight when the Blues play host to the Chicago Blackhawks. Jaroslav Halak got the start in Colorado. Is it difficult to juggle two goaltenders? Not when both are hot, said Blues coach Ken Hitchcock.

"I'll just do it based on the schedule," Hitchcock said. "... They're both playing well, they're pushing each other and they're pushing the team. They're making big saves at the right time and they're allowing us to be competitive every night. It's a good thing."

sobotka's back

The Blues also welcomed Vladimir Sobotka back to the lineup Friday. Sobotka missed two games after being hit in the mouth with a puck. But after settling on the right piece of equipment, he was back in action, playing on a line with Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner.

Sobotka went through four different face guards before arriving on a hinged visor that protects both the upper and lower parts of his face. "I tried the cage but it made me dizzy," said Sobotka, who has never worn face protection before. "It's a little weird to wear one. But I've gotten used to this one."

settled in denver

Former Blues forward Jay McClement has settled into his new surroundings in Denver since last season's trade. The visit to Colorado was the first for the Blues since the deal that sent McClement and Erik Johnson to the Avs in return for Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk last February.

"The first shock is over," McClement said. "I mean, we played a couple times last year and we saw them in the preseason a couple of times, so ... it's always fun. I still have a lot of friends over there and a lot of good memories. But they're a hot team right now, so we have to be ready."

McClement and his wife live in the Cherry Creek area, close to the hotel where the Blues stay.

McClement had four goals and five points in 23 games for the Avs before Friday. On the plus-minus ledger, he's hovering at even. He can be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Johnson did not play against the Blues as he tries to come back from a groin injury. The former No. 1 pick skated with the Avs in the morning but didn't participate in shift-related drills.

another look

Stewart had an interesting observation about returning to Colorado. The burly Blues forward recalled that the Avs conducted their fitness-related testing in the visiting locker room at Pepsi Center.

"It's kind of weird being in this room,' he said. "I don't have particularly fond memories from this room. Maybe tonight I'll get some better memories."



Final: Avalanche 3, Blues 2 (SO)

By JEREMY RUTHERFORD | Posted: Friday, December 2, 2011 8:01 pm

The Blues couldn't convert in the shootout tonight and fell 3-2 to the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center. The club is now 0-3 in shootouts this season.

Ryan O'Reilly, who scored the game-tying goal with 10:26 left in regulation, scored the only goal of the shootout. Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak stopped the Avs' other two attempts, but he lost his sixth straight shootout, dating back to last season.

The Blues had their four-game winning streak come to an end with the shootout loss, but they're 8-1-3 under Hitchcock and have earned at least a point in their five road games.

Halak was terrific tonight, but the Avs got to the Blues in the third period 11 shots on goal and five more in overtime. The Avs nearly won the game on a couple of occasions in the third period, but the Blues found a way to get the game into overtime.

The Blues are 2-0 in 5-minute overtime this season, but they have not fared as well in the shootout. Tonight, Alex Steen and T.J. Oshie were kept out of the net, and after O'Reilly scored on his chance, the game rested on Langenbrunner's shoulders. He missed and the Avs won their 15th shootout in their last 16 overtime games.

The Blues picked up regulation goals from Patrik Berglund (5) and Kevin Shattenkirk (3). They led 2-1 entering the third period and were 11-0 this season when ahead after 40 minutes. But the Avs played their best period in the third and were rewarded.

Avs 3, Blues 2 in a shootout.

****

3rd round

Colorado: Ryan O'Reilly, goal ... lifted backhand

Blues: Langenbrunner:

Shootout score: Avs 1, Blues 0

****

2nd round

Colorado: Duchene, no goal

Blues: Oshie, no goal

Shootout score: 0-0

****

1st round

Colorado: Hejduk, no goal

Blues: Steen, no goal

Shootout score: 0-0

****

Steen, Oshie and Langenbrunner will get the Blues' shootout attempts.

****

The Blues and Avs are headed to a shootout tied 2-2. The Blues are 0-2 in the shootout this season. The Avs have won 14 of their last 15 shootouts, dating back to last season.

****

After review, officials decide no goal. They have put 16.8 seconds back on the clock.

****

Colorado has been awarded a goal by the on-ice officials with 10 seconds left in overtime, but it appears that it could be overturned upon review.

After a shot from the slot, a loose puck lay near the goal-line, but Jaroslav Halak pulled it off the line with his glove. After a celebration by the officials, the play is under review.

****

Colorado nearly rallied for a win in the final seconds of regulation. Jaroslav Halak came up with a blocker save with less than three seconds left.

The puck popped up and bounced off the top of the net and fell in the crease. Halak alertly made a left-leg save, keeping it out of the net in what would have been a disastrous finish.

The Blues are 2-2 heading into the five-minute overtime. They have gone to OT in three of their last five road games.

Blues 2, Avs 2 ... heading to OT

****

The Avs erased the Blues' power play, so now teams are back at even strength.

Blues 2, Avs 2 ... with 4:46 left in regulation.

****

The Blues have caught a break as Colorado flipped a puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty. Paul Stastny will head off for his second minor penalty of the game. The Blues are 1 for 2 on the power play.


****

Even though the Avs weren't creating many chances in the final period, the home team got the one that counted from Ryan O'Reilly.

After a turnover by Patrik Berglund, who was attempting to pass the puck to Chris Stewart and clear the zone, the Avs moved the puck around in the zone until they got a shot. With Barret Jackman playing with a stick, O'Reilly got a shot in traffic and it slipped past Jaroslav Halak.


****

The Blues have only two shots on goal in the third period, but they are controlling the period by far. The offense is displaying as much vision and crisp passing as it has all season.

Blues 2, Avs 1 ... with 11:59 left in the 3rd period.

****

The Blues and the Avs have dropped the puck in the third period at Pepsi Center, with the Blues leading 2-1.

****

Another solid second period for the Blues under Ken Hitchcock has the club ahead 2-1 after 40 minutes.

The Blues picked up a goal from Patrik Berglund in the second stanza, while keeping Colorado quiet. In 12 games under Hitchcock, opponents have combined for only three goals in the middle frame.

The Blues outshot the Avs 16-12 in the second period and now lead 28-19 in shots.

The Blues' goal in the second period belonged to Patrik Berglund, whose fifth of the season. The offense hopes that it's a spark for the second line, which has been much maligned lately. But following up a goal by Matt D'Agostini in Tuesday's 2-1 win over Washington, the second line could be onto something.

Much like in Tuesday's game when he faced only 19 shots, Jaroslav Halak hasn't seen many true scoring opportunities but he's been solid when called upon.

Blues 2, Avs 1 ... at the 2nd intermission.

****

The Avs will get a late power play after a goaltender interference call against Jamie Langenbrunner.

Blues 2, Avs 1 ... with 2:55 left in the 2nd period.

****

The Blues had a 4-on-1 rush, with Alex Pietrangelo, Patrik Berglund, Matt D'Agostini and Chris Stewart all charging into the offensive zone.

D'Agostini set up Stewart for the shot, but Stewart whiffed and the grand scoring chance was nullified. The Avs quickly moved the puck back the other way quickly and Matt Duchene set up David Jones, but a shot by Jones was stopped by Jaroslav Halak.

Blues 2, Avs 0 ... with 8 1/2 minutes left in the 2nd period.

****

After an offensive flurry that saw Matt D'Agostini hit the crossbar and Ian Cole nearly score on a point-blank attempt, the Blues have regained the lead on a much-needed goal for Patrik Berglund.

Berglund took a centering pass from Chris Stewart and redirected the puck past Colorado goalie Semyon Varlamov. It is Berglund's fifth goal of the season and ends a nine-game scoring drought.

Blues 2, Avs 1 ... with 14:21 left in the 2nd period.

***

The Blues had a potential goal by T.J. Oshie waved off because of a distinct kicking motion, officials ruled.

****

The Blues and Avalanche are underway in the second period.

****

The Blues are looking for their fourth straight road victory in Colorado, and after one period they are tied with the Avs, 1-1.

The Blues' Kevin Shattenkirk, a former Avs player, and Colorado's Milan Hejduk, have the goals for their respective teams.

Shattenkirk netted a power-play goal for his third tally of the season, ending an eight-game spell without a goal, with 11:05 left in the first period.

Hejduk answered exactly five minutes later with his ninth goal of the season, beating Jaroslav Halak with a goal that the Blues' netminder didn't have much of a chance on.

The Blues outshot the Avs 12-8 and probably got what they deserved, a tie game after controlling the play early and then taking their foot off the gas a bit.

Vladimir Sobotka, who sat out two games with a mouth injury, leads the Blues with three shots. David Backes and Scott Nichol each had three hits in the first period.

Blues 1, Avs 1 ... at the 1st intermission.

****

Colorado will get a late power play after David Backes is whistled for holding the stick.

Blues 1, Avs 1 ... with 31 seconds left in the 1st period.

****

Colorado's Milan Hejduk has knotted the score late in the first period, snapping a shot from point blank range high under the crossbar.

Hejduk took a pass from the side of the net from Ryan O'Reilly and got the shot off before T.J. Oshie, defending on the play, or goalie Jaroslav Halak could react.

Blues 1, Avs 1 ... with 5 minutes remaining in the 1st period.

****

The Blues capitalized on the power play, picking up a goal from former Avs player Kevin Shattenkirk.

Shattenkirk put a shot on goal from the point, and with David Backes screening goalie Semyon Varlamov, the puck sneaked inside the far post.

Blues 1, Avs 0 ... with 11:02 left in the 1st period.

****

The Blues will get their first opportunity on the power play after a slashing call against Colorado's Paul Stastny.


****

The Blues erased the early power play for the Avs, who are now one for their last 15 with the man advantage.


****

Colorado is going on an early power play after a hooking call against Roman Polak.


****

The Blues and the Avalanche are underway at Pepsi Center.



Halak in goal at Colorado; Pietrangelo, Sobotka return

By DAN O'NEILL AND JEREMY RUTHERFORD | Posted: Friday, December 2, 2011 9:57 am

DENVER - Jaroslav Halak will be in goal tonight when the Blues play at Colorado. Brian Elliott will be the starter when the Blues play host to Chicago on Saturday.

Is it hard to juggle two hot goaltenders? Not at all, said coach Ken Hitchcock.

"I'll just do it based on the schedule," Hitchcock said. "Until one would begin playing poorly, it's easy for me, it's just based on the schedule. I don't even know how they play against certain teams, and I really don't care.

"They're both playing well, they're pushing each other and they're pushing the team. They're making big saves at the right time and they're allowing us to be competitive every night. It's a good thing."

***

Another good thing is the return of defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and forward Vladimir Sobotka tonight.

Pietrangelo missed the Columbus game after coming down with some kind of bug. The team doctors got a handle on the issue and have treated it. Pietrangelo has felt better each day and skated with the Blues on Friday morning.

"I feel fine," he said afterward. "I'm playing, for sure."

Sobotka, who was cut after being hit in the mouth with a puck, also is poised for a return after settling on the right equipment. He went through four different face guards before picking one that is hinged to protect both the upper and lower parts of his face.

"I tried the cage but it made me dizzy," said Sobotka, who has never worn face protection before. "It's a little weird to wear one. But I've gotten used to this one."

Sobotka will join the third line, aside Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner.

***

Old friend Jay McClement says he has settled into Denver since the trade last season.

"The first shock is over," said McClement, who scored a game-winning goal the other night for Colorado. "I mean, we played a couple times last year and we saw them in the pre-season a couple of times, so... it's always fun. I still have a lot of friends over there and a lot of good memories.

"But they're a hot team right now, so we have to be ready. That's the important thing for us. Obviously, they're one of the hottest teams around. They've got a lot of big, strong forwards so we have to be ready for that."

McClement and Erik Johnson were dealt to Colorado for Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk deep into last season. McClement and his wife now live in the Cherry Creek area, close to the hotel where the Blues stay. He had Blues defenseman Barret Jackman over for dinner on Thursday night after the team arrived in town.

McClement has four goals and five points in 23 games for the Avs and is one of the few Colorado players on the positive side of the plus-minus line, hovering at even-0.

***

Looks like Johnson will not play against the Blues tonight. The Note's former No. 1 pick has been nursing a groin injury. He skated with the Avs in the morning but was not a participant in shift-related drills.

****

TONIGHT'S LINEUP

Forwards

Alex Steen-David Backes-T.J. Oshie

Matt D'Agostini-Patrik Berglund-Chris Stewart

Vladimir Sobotka-Jason Arnott-Jamie Langenbrunner

Brett Sterling-Scott Nichol-Ryan Reaves

Defensemen

Ian Cole-Alex Pietrangelo

Kris Russell-Roman Polak

Barret Jackman-Kevin Shattenkirk

Goalie

Jaroslav Halak



It's official: Perron returning to Blues' lineup Saturday

By JEREMY RUTHERFORD | Posted: Friday, December 2, 2011 1:04 pm

Blues winger David Perron, who's been sidelined for 13 months with post-concussion syndrome, will make his much-anticipated return to the ice Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, the club confirmed today.

Perron stayed back in St. Louis tonight, while the Blues are playing the Colorado Avalanche in Denver, so that he'll be rested up for his first game since Nov. 4, 2010. He suffered a concussion when hit by San Jose's Jose Thornton, forcing him to miss a total of 97 games, including tonight's game.

Perron, who rejoined the Blues in early September and was cleared for contact a couple of weeks ago, gave no indication about his return when he came off the ice Thursday after practice.

"I've been going hard over the last week and a half," Perron said. "I think that it's been going pretty good."

Perron, who was taken No. 26 overall in the 2007 NHL draft, is arguably one of the Blues' top skilled players, with 53 goals and 131 points in 235 NHL games. He had five goals and seven points in 10 games before the hit knocked him out of action.

The Blues are currently fifth in the Western Conference standings while playing without Perron and forward Andy McDonald, who is also concussed, but there's no doubt Perron's presence will be a much-welcomed boost to the lineup.

"I think everyone has been waiting and I think it’s time," Blues forward T.J. Oshie said Thursday before the announcement was made. "We’re ready for him to come back, ready for that Perron spark on the ice ... when he has the puck, how hard he works and the plays that he creates that most guys wouldn’t think about creating. It’s exciting. It’s going to be a special day when he comes back."

Added forward Jamie Langenbrunner: "He looks more and more comfortable and looks more involved in practice. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him relatively soon here."

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock indicated this week that when Perron did return to the lineup, the team would not be taking it easy on him. Sometimes when top-line players return to the lineup from a long-term injury, coaches work them back in on the third and fourth lines to help them slowly get their timing back.

"No, you can’t do that," Hitchcock said. "He’s a top-six forward, so if he’s going to play, he’s going to play. ... If he gives us the OK, there’s no working him back in. You’re in, you play. No different than (Sidney) Crosby or any of these other guys. No such thing ... We’re going to deal with him like he’s a current player and he’s just coming off training camp and go from there."

Hitchcock plans to play Perron on a line with Patrik Berglund and Chris Stewart.

"I would like to see him with Berglund at some time," Hitchcock said. "Whether it’s going to be right away, I don’t know. But I’d like to see him there."

Hitchcock said Perron could expect his normal ice time of 20 minutes per game relatively soon.

"He’s obviously not going to kill penalties, so he’s going to be a 20-minute player right off the hop," Hitchcock said. "But when you look this good at practice under these type of circumstances, we’ve put him in every situation possible and without a lot of traffic and a lot of heat, he’s more than responded."

After doing so in practice, Perron will finally get the chance to respond in a live game on Saturday.



How quickly can Perron make an impact for Blues?

By ROGER HENSLEY | Posted: Friday, December 2, 2011 1:55 pm

QUESTION: David Perron will return to the ice for the Blues on Saturday night. After being out more than a year with post-concussion syndrome how long do you think it will take Perron to round into complete game form and begin playing like himself again?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD

Well, if Perron recovered anything like Sidney Crosby, it won’t take long to get on the scoresheet. Crosby missed 10 1/2 months because of concussion symptoms and had four points in his first game back. He has 11 points (2 goals, 9 assists) in six games since he’s returned.

Perron is not Crosby, but he’s similar in that he’s a skilled forward. Perron has said that when he first returned to the ice, details such as his shooting accuracy were missing from his game. But that’s been several weeks now and he looks really good in practice.

After missing 14 months, Perron may not feel like his old self until toward the end of the season, but he’ll still be able to contribute and my guess is that it won’t take him very long. Hitchcock plans to play him on a line with Patrik Berglund and Chris Stewart and play him regular minutes, so that will speed up progression.

JEFF GORDON

Fans need to temper their expectations for David. He’s accumulated a lot of rust. It may take him a while to let it loose and play with his usual abandon. The Penguins were very deliberate with Sidney Crosby because fans expected him to play at such a high level upon his return. Pittsburgh realized the No. 1 player in the game couldn’t just ease back in. Perron, on the other hand, should be able to feel his way back to old scoring-line form.

TOM TIMMERMANN

It will take a few weeks to get back to speed, though if he were to spend a week doing rehab in Peoria, it would eliminate some of the awkward moments at Scottrade Center. This won’t rule out some occasional flashes of brilliance, which he could do as soon as his first game back. But to get the well-rounded, full-fledged game you’d like to see from Perron, he’ll need some time. All the practice in the world can’t get you ready for the realities of an NHL game.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)

I can’t say for sure but I would imagine it’ll take a while. I don’t think we can go by the Sidney Crosby model. The Kid has 11 points in 6 games since returning from a 10-month layoff due to post-concussion symptoms but I don’t think it’s fair to assume Perron jumps right in and starts producing.

A better bet would be to guess that he’ll need several weeks, maybe a month, to get his legs underneath him and truly be back to where he was before. Even that might end up being optimistic.

Early on the most likely area he could impact would be the power play. His creativity and tenacity on the puck would be tremendous assets there but it might make sense to limit his regular minutes, at least initially. That said, all we can really do is guess. There are no certainties with post-concussion recovery.

ANDY STRICKLAND (TrueHockey.com, KFNS)

It’s hard to say whether it will take one game, one week, or one month for David Perron to return to form. He’s missed over a year of hockey and there’s going to be an adjustment period to getting his timing back and playing at the NHL pace. He’ll also be playing with Chris Stewart, a player he’s never played with, along with a new head coach in Ken Hitchcock.

The mental challenge may be the biggest hurdle for Perron to overcome. How assertive will he be in engaging in contact is something I think everyone will pay close attention to. It’s probably best for Hitchcock to play the heck out of him on the power play where he’ll have more time and space and a lot less hesitation in his game.

Sidney Crosby is one of the best players ever so comparing his situation to Perron’s is a stretch. Pierre-Marc Bouchard missed over a year in Minnesota and is probably a better example to use. It took Bouchard some time to get going offensively but every player is different. The bottom line is the Blues are a much better team with Perron in the lineup and no matter how long it takes him to regain his form his presence alone makes the Blues instantly better.



Perron is eager to finally make his return to the ice

By NORM SANDERS - News-Democrat

Scottrade Center has withstood many standing ovations for the St. Louis Blues, but the applause level is sure to reach seismic proportions tonight for the return of David Perron.

Perron, who has missed nearly 13 months since suffering a concussion Nov. 4, 2010 against San Jose, rejoins the Blues tonight when they face the Chicago Blackhawks.

"I think over the last 13 months I went through all kinds of emotions," Perron said. "It was really fun to get the green light to be back in the game. Just the fact that so many people have helped me throughout the whole time is going to make it that much nicer.

"My parents are coming in for the game, so that will be fun. I'm really excited."

Perron, who remained in St. Louis while the Blues were playing in Colorado on Friday, has missed the last 97 games after being blindsided on a hit by San Jose's Joe Thornton.

He began skating on his own over the summer and gradually worked his way back through skating and conditioning drills. He was cleared for full contact last month and had been practicing with the team, finally receiving medical clearance through the NHL's concussion protocol.

"I'm very comfortable that he's ready to go," Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong said of Perron, expected to play on a line with Patrik Berglund and Chris Stewart. "Probably our best free-agent signing will be a getting a healthy David Perron back. We've waited a little bit into the season, but his talent and his skill set is not easily replaceable in the lineup."

It figures to be an emotional night for Perron, as well as Blues' fans who were calling the occasion of his return "Perronmas," on Twitter in their spin on the team receiving an early Christmas present.

He remains one of the team's most popular young players and is considered a main cog in the franchise's young talent nucleus moving forward.

"The whole process I've been through over the last three or four months, getting myself ready and back in shape. ... Over the last four weeks I've been going pretty much 100 percent in practices and feeling pretty good," said Perron, who rejoined the team in early September and was cleared to return to full contact about three weeks ago. "It's been going well ever since and no setbacks, so I feel great and ready to go."

The Blues' coaching staff has done everything possible to get Perron into as many game situations as possible, including work on the power play.

One big question that remains to be answered is how Perron will hold up under the physical pounding in a typical NHL game.

NHL superstar Sidney Crosby recently rejoined the Pittsburgh Penguins after a 10 1/2 month concussion absence. Crosby's impact was immediate with two goals and two assists in his first game and he has two goals and 11 points through six games.

Perron isn't at that level, but he's still one of the Blues' top weapons when healthy.

"It's never going to be the same as in games," Perron said of the contact level in practice. "This is the last and final step, getting in a game. I feel it was time, I've felt pretty good over the last two or three weeks. This is the last step and I'm ready to be turning the page."

Perron was off to a strong start last season with five goals and seven points in 10 games before his injury. The 26th overall pick in the 2007 draft has 53 goals and 131 points in 235 games with the Blues.

"It's been a long 13 months and David's been through quite a bit," Armstrong said. "The one thing that never wavered was his passion to get back on the ice. I saw that over the summer, and when he rejoined our team. The hard work's he's put in to put himself in this position has just been tremendous."

Perron was asked about his conditioning and how much he expected to play tonight.

"We'll see how it goes in terms of the penalties tomorrow," he said, referring to special teams time. "That will probably determine my ice time more than anything else. I'm just ready to get back in there; just be another player and play my game as good as I can and bring some excitement to the game."

Perron admitted nerves could be a factor after so much time away from the sport that he loves.

"I think it's probably the game I'll be the most excited about, but also nervous," he said. "I'm already a little bit nervous about it and that's something that after 97 games you're going to do.

"I think my teammates are going to be helpful to me. The key for me is try to keep it simple ... not thinking too much and just play my game."

The road back to a lineup spot tonight was not easy for Perron. He spent months not being able to do any type of conditioning or hockey-related activities while waiting for his concussion symptoms to subside.

There was false hope at times, real progress made at others. Some wondered if he would ever return.

"We were trying to tell him to make sure that everything was in the right place for the first couple of months," Armstrong said. "We didn't want him to do things outside of what he was told to do. It had to be extremely difficult to sit at home and not use a computer, not watch television, not do the things you do on a daily basis."

The Blues are taking a similar approach with forward Andy McDonald, out with a concussion since mid-October.

"He's not around the team yet," Armstrong said. "He's still suffering from some symptoms and we're waiting."

Read more: http://www.bnd.com/2011/12/03/1965175/perron-is-eager-to-finally-make.html#ixzz1fSrn37mE

News-Democrat LOADED: 12.03.2011

598105 Tampa Bay Lightning

Richards cherishing the New York life

By JOEY JOHNSTON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 03, 2011

BRANDON --

Brad Richards and the New York Rangers arrived Friday morning, then went straight to the rink for practice. As Richards skated around the Ice Sports Forum, getting out the kinks, he stole a glance upstairs.

There was Lightning center Vinny Lecavalier, his old teammate, watching from overhead, shortly after Tampa Bay's off-day workout. Lecavalier waved and beamed in mock excitement.

Welcome back, Richie!

The Rangers face the Lightning tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum.

This used to be home. For a short time last summer, when Richards became a free agent, there were thoughts of him returning to the Lightning, perhaps to recapture seven seasons of Tampa Bay memories, highlighted by his Stanley Cup MVP performance in 2004.

It wasn't meant to be.

"I was interested, but I wasn't going to handcuff the team or mess up their salary cap and budget,'' said Richards, 31. "I guess it would've been a great story.''

Instead, Richards got a storybook opportunity.

He became the NHL's prize free-agent, signing a nine-year, $60-million contract with the Rangers, where he has reunited with John Tortorella, the former Lightning coach.

Richards quickly became a trusted voice in the locker room. With the Rangers off to a flying start (14-5-3), Richards has 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists), second to Marian Gaborik, New York's other big-bucks free-agent acquisition.

Life off the ice isn't bad, either. Richards lives in Manhattan and is fascinated with exploring his new home. Richards sold his Davis Islands residence last summer.

"How do I say this? He's a single guy in New York,'' Lecavalier said. "Of course, he's focused on the hockey. He's a great leader. But living in New York is very special. It's a great spot for him – on and off the ice.''

"I think this will be something to cherish my whole life,'' Richards said. "I'm playing at Madison Square Garden. Everything is within walking distance of where you live and there's so much available to you. During the holidays, the city will really be amazing. And we're off to a great start, so the hockey has been going well.''

Richards was quick to not downplay his experience in Tampa, where he liked the low-key lifestyle and the ability to mature with a young team.

Asked to compare his years in Tampa with his introduction to New York, Richards acknowledged the vast difference.

"I had choices, but I wanted to try a Northern climate, an Original Six team, and it has been everything I expected,'' Richards said. "Tampa was great for me. I love the fans and I'm glad the fans have come back to support the team.

"The history of the Rangers, the passion of the fans, the need to win in New York … it's just a different thing. There's going to be urgency. It's impossible to not think about the expectations. If you aren't performing, the fans will let you know that. It can get pretty loud.''

Richards could say the same about working under Tortorella. He said time "kind of caused me to forget'' about Tortorella's demanding style, but it didn't take long to get up to speed. He wants to incorporate himself into the existing chemistry.

"He (Tortorella) knows where my game can go,'' Richards said. "At my age, with my experience, I think I'm equipped to handle everything with his new situation.''

"When you go to New York for a lot of money, of course everything will be magnified,'' Lightning forward Marty St. Louis said. "It probably isn't for everybody. Richie can handle it. He has been through a lot in this league. It's always going to be a special event when he comes back.''

It's bound to be different than Jan. 19, 2009, when he first returned to the Dallas Stars, when he fought back tears during a welcome-back video tribute, when he scored on the power play to applause and cheers from Lightning fans.

"Tampa will never be just another place on the schedule,'' Richards said. "Part of me will always be here, but sometimes, you have to evolve and move on.''

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 12.03.2011


Bolts notes: Deficits becoming a habit

By ERIK ERLENDSSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 02, 2011

TAMPA --

The Tampa Bay Lightning sure know how to climb out of a hole. The problem, however, is digging that hole has become too much of a habit.

In 24 games this season, Tampa Bay has allowed the first goal 15 times, tied for most in the league entering Thursday's play. The Lightning have come back to win five of those games — tied for seventh — and lost one in a shootout for 11 points in those 15 games.

For Tampa Bay, however, it hasn't been about giving up the first goal, but coming back from multiple-goal deficits.

On Wednesday in Detroit, the Lightning erased a 2-0 first-period deficit to tie the game at 2 entering the third period. Tampa Bay lost 4-2.

Then there are the comebacks from 3-0 and 2-0 deficits at Florida to pick up victories.

In that aspect, the Lightning have shown they have the heart and ability to mount comebacks. The problem is digging those holes too often.

"Obviously it takes a lot of energy to have to come back," G Dwayne Roloson said. "We can't keep getting into holes and trying to battle back. We can't make miracles every night."

Dress up your ride

The Lightning are encouraging fans to dress up their cars with team décor and submit a photo or video to

www.tampabaylightning.com/promotions, along with an explanation of why the fan should be selected for a chance to win tickets to a Saturday home game.

During each Saturday home game for the rest of the season, the submission that portrays the most Lightning spirit will win two tickets to the game, recognition on LightningVision during the game and a free Lightning logo license plate.

The promotion begins with Saturday's game against the New York Rangers.

Nuts and Bolts

The team is scheduled to practice at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon today at 10:30 a.m. … Tampa Bay finished November with a 6-7 record, only the second time under coach Guy Boucher the team had a losing month. The other was in March, when Tampa Bay was 5-6-4. Last season, Tampa Bay was 7-6-2 in November before going 8-3-2 in December. … The Lightning will play seven of their next 10 games on the road.

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 12.03.2011


Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman welcomes pressure of $20 million contract extension

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Saturday, December 3, 2011

BRANDON — Now, Victor Hedman said, perhaps he will buy a house.

The Lightning defenseman has rented in the Tampa Bay area since his 2009-10 rookie season. But after signing a five-year, $20 million contract extension that kicks in next season, he said "it would be nice to get a place" for himself and "forever" girlfriend, Sanna Grundberg.

"I'm so happy," Hedman said. "I've been walking around with smiles and having trouble sleeping, I'm so happy."

It has been a whirlwind few days for the big Swede, who signed Wednesday, let it sink in Thursday and after Friday's practice at the Ice Sports Forum did an extended interview with a Swedish television station that considers him big news back home.

Big contracts get that kind of attention. But Hedman said he knows there is more to the deal than all that guaranteed money — namely, guaranteed pressure.

Tampa Bay expects Hedman, 6 feet 6, 229 pounds, to be a cornerstone of the future, along with center Steven Stamkos. It also is banking on the No. 2 overall pick of the 2009 draft developing into an elite blue liner.

"When you get that type of contract, there obviously becomes pressure," Hedman said.

"It's taken a lot of hard work to get where I am right now. It's going to take even more work to get better as a player. But I'm secure within myself that I can be that player and be that defenseman to make a difference."

Lightning coach Guy Boucher said he sees Hedman like Boston 6-9 defenseman Zdeno Chara, an intimidating force who contributes on both sides of the puck and is an annual contender for the Norris Trophy, given to the league's top defenseman.

It is a long-term goal, but Boucher said, "I think teams are already starting to notice, 'My goodness, this guy has taken a step.' … He's huge. He's a horse out there. He's hitting guys. He's finishing checks. He's everywhere the opponent is."

"Just trying to go around him is virtually impossible," Tampa Bay captain Vinny Lecavalier said. "He's got speed, he's big and strong, and has that long reach. He's got the full package."

Hedman plays against the top lines, so expect him to face former Lightning star Brad Richards tonight against the Rangers at the St. Pete Times Forum.

He averages 22:53 of ice time and is minus-7 in 21 games, in part because he has just two goals and zero assists.

Considering Hedman's personal bests last season were three goals and 26 points, Boucher is confident offense will come.

"He's our best at finding holes in the offensive zone," Boucher said. "He's just not doing a good job finishing. If that's where we are, we're in a good spot."

Besides, general manager Steve Yzerman said, "He's in his third year. He's just learning the position."

Will pressure from a big contract affect Hedman's learning curve?

"I don't know; we'll see," Boucher said. "But I know one thing about Victor. He's a very dedicated athlete. He's a horse in the gym. He's always first on the ice and last off, so I would certainly bet on him getting better."

"I want to be a force on this team," Hedman said. "I want to be a difference-maker and help this team win hockey games."

minor moves: The Lightning traded AHL Norfolk center James Wright and defenseman Mike Vernace to the Panthers for AHL defensemen Mike

Kostka and Evan Oberg. Wright, 21, was a Lightning fourth-round draft pick in 2008 and made his NHL debut in the 2009-10 season, playing in 48 games (two goals, five points). He played one game with the Lighting last season. Vernace, 25, played 10 games with the Lightning last season (one assist, minus-2). Oberg, 23 and 6 feet, 165 pounds, played two games for the Canucks in each of 2009-10 and '10-11, and has played in 125 career AHL games. Kostka, 26 and 6 feet 1, 210 pounds, has never played in the NHL and has 255 AHL games.

St. Petersburg Times LOADED: 12.03.2011


Tampa Bay Lightning's move lucrative contracts



Value added

Victor Hedman's new five-year, $20 million contract comes with a $4 million salary cap hit, the team's fifth largest and the largest among defensemen. Here are Tampa Bay's most lucrative contracts in terms of average annual salary (in millions):

PLAYER YEARS VALUE CAP HIT

. Vinny Lecavalier 11 $85 $7.727

Steven Stamkos 5 $37.5 $7.5

. Marty St. Louis 4 $22.5 $5.625

Ryan Malone 7 $31.5 $4.5

Victor Hedman 5 $20 $4.0



Lightning trade two from AHL Norfolk to Panthers for AHL defensemen

The Lightning on Friday traded AHL Norfolk center James Wright and defenseman Mike Vernace to the Panthers for AHL defensemen Mike Kostka and Evan Oberg.

Wright, 21, was a Lightning fourth-round draft pick in 2008 and made his NHL debut in the 2009-10 season, playing in 48 games (two goals, five points) before being returned to his junior team. He played one game with the Lighting last season and spent the rest of the season at Norfolk.

Vernace, 25, played 10 games with the Lightning last season (one assist, minus-2) and spent the bulk of the season at Norfolk.

Oberg, 23 and 6 feet, 165 pounds, played two games for the Canucks in each of 2009-10 and ’10-11, and has played in 125 career AHL games. Kostka, 26 and 6 feet 1, 210 pounds, has never played in the NHL and has 255 AHL games.

Posted by Times Editor



Game preview: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Rangers



. Tonight

Lightning vs. Rangers

When/where: 7; St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 970-AM

Key stats: Lightning C Steven Stamkos is tied for the league lead with 16 goals and has five goals, seven points in a five-game points streak. … Tampa Bay has won four straight over New York. … The Rangers have allowed a league-low 47 goals, and goalies Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Biron entered Friday tied for the league lead with a combined .931 save percentage and tied for second with a 2.10 goals-against average.



Defenseman Matt Gilroy rewarded with spot on Tampa Bay Lightning's top power-play unit

The Tampa Bay Lightning will put a new wrinkle into its top power play unit for Saturday's game with the Rangers as defenseman Matt Gilroy gets a chance to man the blue line. The move comes one game after Gilroy made a terrific diagonal pass from the blue line to Steven Stamkos, who scored with a snap shot from the side of the net in the 4-2 loss to the Red Wings.

"To tell you the truth, I would have had him before on it," coach Guy Boucher said. "I didn't want to give him too much to chew on. We had other things to worry about with him, getting him to play good defense and calming his game down, and he's done that. He's really done some good offensive plays, so he's going to get a chance on the power play."

"It's nice," Gilroy said. "Hopefully I can help out and contribute, get the puck to those guys and help them make some plays."

Gilroy, 27, signed as a free agent over the summer, might be Tampa Bay's most improved player from the beginning of the season. He has zero goals and six assists in 22 games and is plus-7 while averaging 18:03 of ice time.

Gilroy played very little on the power play in two previous seasons with the Rangers. In fact, his 3:48 of power play time this season is more than the 2:43 he had with New York in those two seasons.

"He's someone who earned that spot on the power play. It wasn't just given to him," Stamkos said. "He's smart player and he's earned it. And it's nice to have a right-handed shot up there. It frees up a lot of areas on the ice."

As for facing the Rangers for the first time since he left the organization, Gilroy said it is no big deal.

"They gave me a chance, taught me a lot and I respect them for that," he said. "It was time to move on but nothing but good things to say about them and the organization."

Other notable stuff: Stamkos is tied for the league lead with 16 goals, the first time he has been at the top of the ledger since March 25, when his 43 goals were one ahead of Anaheim's Corey Perry. ... Boucher said Mathieu Garon will be in net against the Rangers. He also said wing Ryan Shannon will be back in after Wednesday's scratch against the Red Wings. No word on what forward will come out. ... Stat of the day from the Rangers: New York is 7-0-0 when Brandon Prust is assessed a fighting major in the opening two minutes.

Posted by Damian Cristodero


598112 Toronto Maple Leafs

Reimer cleared to play Saturday against the Bruins

By James Mirtle

Globe and Mail Blog

Leafs netminder will dress Saturday for first time since suffering concussion in Toronto's seventh game of season

"I'm ready to go when he calls on me."

And with that, Toronto Maple Leafs netminder James Reimer announced Friday that he was, finally, ready to play as soon coach Ron Wilson wants him to.

Reimer has missed the Leafs last 18 games with concussion-like symptoms but will be on the bench when Toronto faces the Boston Bruins on the road Saturday night.

Jonas Gustavsson will get that start, but it's safe to assume Reimer will take over two nights later against the New York Rangers.

"I'm ecstatic," Reimer said. "You know, I love to play. This is what I love to do. To be able to get back in the lineup and even just back practising was great.

"When you're sitting out, not only is it boring, but it just hangs around you. You want to get out there so bad."

Third-stringer Ben Scrivens was at practice on Friday but will be going back to the Toronto Marlies to make room on the roster for Reimer's return. Scrivens finished his first stint of NHL playing time with a 2-4-1 record, 2.96 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.

"We're convinced that he's got a bright future as a goaltender," Wilson said of Scrivens. "We knew that after training camp. I think that's kind of why you haven't seen us make any kind of moves [to bring in a veteran] in the meantime.

"We think we've got incredible depth. Although inexperienced, these guys are going to be really good for a long time."

Wilson added the organization wasn't discouraged by the fact Scrivens had a couple tough outings mixed in with a few strong performances.

"That's going to happen when you're young," he said. "You're not going to dominate the game. He's still got things he has to learn, but he sure played well on the road.

"He had some struggles at home I think more than anything and that's something he'll get better at: learning how to handle the pressure and the atmosphere."

Notebook

- Wilson revealed after practice that Mike Brown had back surgery to repair a disc and will be out six weeks, creating a hole on the fourth line for roughly the next 20 games. He had been having a good season in his limited role.

- Cody Franson is likely to play in Boston after sitting out on Wednesday.

- Colby Armstrong (ankle) is another week or so away from returning. Matt Lombardi (shoulder) could return in another 10 days to two weeks.

- Defenceman Mike Komisarek, who has a broken arm, was skating on his own before practice. His recovery has been sped up a little, but he's still going to miss another four to six weeks.

- Almost all of the players' fathers were on hand watching practice Friday, and they'll be going on the road with the team to Boston and New York as part of the Leafs annual father-son trip.

Leafs projected lineup

Lupul - Bozak - Kessel

MacArthur - Connolly - Frattin

Kulemin - Grabovski - Crabb

Colborne - Steckel - Dupuis

Gunnarsson - Phaneuf

Gardiner - Schenn

Liles - Franson

Gustavsson

Reimer

Toronto Globe And Mail LOADED: 12.03.2011


Game Day: Maple Leafs at Bruins

December 02, 2011

LEAFS (14-9-2) at BRUINS (15-7-1)

TD GARDEN

FACEOFF: 7 p.m.

TV: CBC

RADIO: AM640

WEB: Join the Toronto Star online for a pre-game chat at 6 p.m.

LEAFS INJURIES

• G James Reimer, (concussion-like symptoms)

F Colby Armstrong, (sprained left ankle)

• F Mike Brown

(lower body)

• D Mike Komisarek

(broken arm)

Toronto Star LOADED: 12.03.2011


Leafs brewin’ up a rivalry with Bruins

Kevin McGran

BOSTON—The Maple Leafs have a long way to go before the Boston Bruins consider them one of their biggest rivals.

But the Leafs have started down that road.

“It’s been kind of a rivalry just being created more and more as we play them,” said Bruins forward Milan Lucic, 23. “You can see it coming. You can feel it in the crowd a bit, as well.

“The whole thing with (Phil) Kessel and us having (Tyler) Seguin, and we traded (Joe) Colborne. That’s what’s created it, more than anything.”

Lucic’s older teammates, however, dispute the notion.

“I don’t think there’s any extra juice to Leaf games,” said goalie Tim Thomas, 37. “Every team is important. We haven’t overlooked them. It’s not the same type of rival Montreal is, or Vancouver, because we haven’t played a playoff series against them in so long.”

Bruins captain Zdeno Chara — 34, and a veteran of Bruins-Habs and Leafs-Senators playoff battles — said Leafs-Bruins doesn’t compare because they haven’t met in the playoffs since 1974.

“With teams you play more often, you can create some hatred,” said Chara. “We get up for the games (against the Leafs). Any conference games and divisional games, they’re always big.”

The Leafs and Bruins, Original Six teams, have only met 13 times in the post-season. By comparison, Montreal has faced Boston in 34 playoff series.

“The rivalry with Montreal has been built up over decades because the Bruins and the Canadiens get matched up so often in the playoffs,” said Thomas. “I don’t think rivalries are made. Rivalries just happen.

“It would probably take a nasty playoff series to come anywhere close to being like Montreal temporarily.”

The Leafs would count Montreal (historical), Ottawa (Battle of Ontario) and Buffalo (proximity) ahead of Boston. And should Detroit return to the Eastern Conference in the next realignment, the second-longest NHL playoff rivalry could resume (the Leafs have played the Wings in 23 series).

Boston’s biggest rival is Montreal and no other team comes close, says Rob Simpson, author of Black and Gold, Four Decades of the Boston Bruins in Photographs.

“It drops off after Montreal,” said Simpson. “It’s so intense, on a different level than the others. The Rangers used to be. There’s a lot of hatred there with the (Phil) Esposito trade. Buffalo was a big rival in the ’70s and ’80s in the playoffs. Then Toronto, if the Leafs win a game.”

The Leafs haven’t beaten Boston in three tries this year. But, as Lucic pointed out, at least each game has meant something — both games this week have been for first place in the Northeast.

“They’re playing well this year, having a good year, and us battling for the top spot in the Northeast is what has made these games good to get up for,” said Lucic. “The way they’re looking right now, they might end that drought of not being in the playoffs.”



Superagent's Girl Friday helps Russian players bridge cultural gap

Joseph Hall

Fluffing her hair for a waiting photographer, Susanna Goruveyn turns to the handiest reflective surface she can find.

It’s a picture frame, one of dozens lining the mahogany walls of Mississauga’s Newport Sports Management Inc. in a bragging gallery of NHL stars the agency has represented.

Her makeshift mirror, as it happens, holds a shot of Alexander Ovechkin hugging the Calder Trophy he won as the league’s top rookie in 2006.

The picture conjures a smile from Goruveyn, and a memory of the weirdest thing her job has ever called on her to do.

“The blintzes for sure were the strangest thing,” she says. “With his mother.”

Blintzes are thin Russian pancakes. And Ovechkin’s mother, Tatiana, kept Goruveyn up past 4 a.m. one night to help her make them for a Slavic fête she was throwing next day.

In the preposterously pampered worlds of big time professional athletes, there are precious few desires or daily needs that someone else won’t fulfill.

But when it comes to Russian players transitioning into the NHL, the demands take on a cultural lilt that’s as foreign as their language.

That’s where Goruveyn steps in.

Part interpreter, part fixer and general gofer, the 36-year-old is Newport’s Girl Friday for its shifting stable of Russian hockey imports.

“You know the movie The Devil Wears Prada? That’s sort of what I do,” Goruveyn says.

As he did with her mother Anna before her, Newport head Don Meehan has tasked the 36-year-old with meeting the peculiar needs that come packed in the young player’s cultural baggage.

“Any Canadian person … knows how to go to the bank, how to open an account, how to get themselves a visa,” Goruveyn says by way of examples.

“But for them, everything is new, everything is different, everything works completely opposite (to) the way it works in Russia.”

In Russia she says, only money talks. And if you have it, there’s no such thing as a lineup, or an application or a wait for just about anything.

What are license plate stickers? What are health care cards? Why can’t I buy off this traffic ticket?

And what, for that matter, are these taxes things?

Most young Russian recruits haven’t a clue, Goruveyn says.

“I get calls like at midnight, at 11, ‘Can you do this tomorrow? Can you do that tomorrow?’ They don’t know how to do simple things.”

Other things, they feel, their new found wealth excuses them from.

Searching for cars, buying clothes — or making blintzes — these are tasks that money can purchase a pass on in Russia, and that Goruveyn can always help with or do here.

And if the cultural gulf disgorges different kinds of client demands, it also strings Goruveyn’s job with reels of social tripwires.

Despite the outward westernization of the country in the post-Soviet era — one in which all the recent imports were raised — there are ancient Russian customs that are bred in the bone, she says.

“They have the Chanels, they have the boutiques, they have the Louis Vuittons, they have the Mercedes and they dress,” Goruveyn says.

“But the stuff is really different.”

That “stuff” includes the disinclination of many Russian men to take instruction or advice, particularly from a woman.

There are also the differing interpretations of simple social interactions, which can freight a friendly North American “hello” with suspicious or malevolent intent.

But in particular, she says, there’s “The Drama.”

This workplace hazard involves not her male hockey playing clients, but their girlfriends, wives and mothers.

“Umm … feminism hasn’t moved to Russia yet,” Goruveyn says, struggling to put things delicately.

“Women get ahead not by their knowledge or their talent but (by) their … other talents.”

The drama, as she calls it, is scripted by these engrained gender presumptions, Goruveyn says. Frankly, she says, some of her clients’ female coteries see her as a threat.

“How do I say this without being so straightforward and blunt?” Goruveyn ponders.

“When I encounter girlfriends and mothers and wives, not all of them understand that I’m just here to do my job.”

Goruveyn says she’s lost clients because of this female tension and that it may have influenced Ovechkin’s decision to split with Meehan in 2006 — a move many have attributed to his mother’s influence.

“With Ovechkin … I think my mother would have been able to find a better connection with his mother than I did,” she says.

“I still had what I thought was a good connection, a good understanding. Well, obviously it wasn’t.”

Goruveyn was born in the Ukraine and came to Canada at age 6. And while she’s flawlessly fluent in both Russian and English, it’s her mother’s towering tutelage that prepared her for this job.

Anna Goruveyn, who died of cancer in 2004, was beloved by the Russian players Newport has represented.

A testament to that affection can be found on the back of New York Islanders goalie Evgeni Nabokov’s mask, where he wears her name in remembrance.

But the mother and daughter’s unlikely vocation sprang out of sheer happenstance, involving a chance meeting with one of hockey’s all time greats.

Having come to Canada as a single mother in 1981, Anna was working as a legal secretary in Toronto when she volunteered as a translator for the 1988 Calgary Olympics and was assigned a Bulgarian dignitary.

“But he was really elderly and passed away and didn’t come and so she didn’t have anything to do.” Goruveyn says.

“So she was sitting one day at a bar or restaurant or somewhere in the (Olympic) village and she saw (Vladimir) Tretiak walk by.”

With barely a word of English in his glove at the time, the goaltending legend was in obvious need of an interpreter.

“So she says to him. ‘Do you need any help?’… and he says, ‘Yes, can you help me with the media and tomorrow we have a meeting ... with the president of the IOC.’”

Tretiak conscripted her as his agent soon after.

And in 1990, when Soviet-bating Leaf owner Harold Ballard died and the team began to draft Russians, Anna Goruveyn pounced.

Word of her language and cultural skills passed down the Cyrillic grapevine, and Anna Goruveyn was herself drafted by Meehan to join his high-powered firm.

That’s where her daughter, at loose ends after completing a psychology degree at York University, took a receptionist job.

When her mother died several years later, Meehan asked the daughter to take her place.

With the departure of Ovechkin and with the NHL’s gold rush into Russia drying up, her load has been getting lighter of late.

The firm now represents just six NHL Russians, where that figure was up to 15 in recent years.



Eighteen games and waiting for Kulemin

By Steve Buffery ,Toronto Sun

TORONTO -

When Nikolai Kulemin stepped off the ice at the MasterCard Centre of Excellence following the Maple Leafs practice on Friday, he stopped to chat with a couple of arena workers and team officials.

The big Russian was chatty and smiling.

Even in the dressing room afterwards, Kulemin appeared relaxed and perfectly happy to chat about that part of his game which everyone seems to be talking about these days, the fact that he’s in the midst of an agonizing, 18-game goal-scoring slump.

“It’s okay,” said Kulemin. “I just try to play through it and try to do my job and try to work hard all the time.”

The last time Kulemin scored was Oct. 22 in Montreal. Last season he went eight games, twice, without scoring, but remained consistent for most of the season and finished the year with the second-most goals on the team with 30 (two behind Phil Kessel).

Of course, outward appearances can be deceitful. You just know that Kulemin is aching to find the back of the net. But if it’s causing him to lose sleep, he isn’t showing it.

Perhaps having his dad, Vladimir, in Toronto has helped with his disposition (all the players dads have been invited on the road trip to Boston and New York this weekend).

Or perhaps it’s because, despite the scoring slump, he’s actually, mostly, played well, and that has the big winger in a decent state of mind.

Kulemin’s managed two goals and nine assists in 25 games, well off the 57 point pace from last season.

But he’s ‘even’ on the plus-minus charts and coach Ron Wilson isn’t ready to throw Kulemin under the bus, yet. Wilson has, however, done more than slap Kulemin on the back.

He’s looking for ways to help the second-year NHLer punch his way out of his slump.

This weekend, at least in Saturday’s game in Boston against the Bruins, Wilson will likely play Kulemin on a line with his long-time centre, Mikhail Grabovski, and Joey Crabb.

From the look of Friday’s practice, Wilson also plans to keep Clarke MacArthur, who played mostly with Grabovski and Kulemin last season, with Tim Connolly and Matt Frattin on the so-called line second line. Wilson was asked if putting Grabovski back with Kulemin will help “him” get untracked.

“Which one?” asked Wilson, not sure which player was being referred to, Grabovski, who has one point in his last seven games, or Kulemin.

“Neither’s lit up the scoreboard,” said Wilson. “But as a pair they have some chemistry so we’re actually looking to try to get some balance. I think Connolly playing with MacArthur you’ve seen some sparks flying there and this gives us an opportunity to have three lines with the potential to score.”

Last season, the MacArthur-Grabovski-Kulemin line was by far the most consistent line on the Leafs, finishing second, third and fourth in team scoring.

All but Grabovski played a full season, and Grabovski played 81 games. But this season started going south for the line early when MacArthur missed the first two games because of a suspension after he hit Detroit Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader in the head.

Various injuries since then to MacArthur and Grabovski have prevented the unit from clicking. Now they’re all healthy, but Wilson is going to keep them apart, at least for a while. The coach insisted that he isn’t overly concerned about Kulemin’s state of mind as he feels that, sooner or later, the big winger will snap out of it.

“We’ve talked,” said Wilson. “We’re being as encouraging as we possibly can. The puck is eventually going to go in the net. He’s getting opportunities, but he’s a forechecker and unfortunately he hasn’t had much — and I keep using this term — puck luck this year. But he’s contributing in other ways and he’s eventually going to score. And once he scores, there will probably be a number of goals coming from him in a flood. That’s what I would hope.”

One of the reasons Wilson isn’t fretting about Kulemin’s slump is the fact that the rest of the team has stepped up offensively. The Leafs have scored 27 goals in the past six games. Still, Wilson is hoping that Crabb will compliment Grabovski and Kulemin and they’ll start piling up some points.

“I think Cabby’s been playing really well. He works the corners really well, plus he’s a right-hand shot and I think that will help on that line too,” said the coach.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 12.03.2011


Scrivens' net worth shoots higher

By Terry Koshan ,Toronto Sun

TORONTO -

In the next couple of days, Ben Scrivens, in all likelihood, will get the official notice that he has been anticipating: You’re going back to the Toronto Marlies.

But the 25-year-old Scrivens, whose cerebral enthusiasm would rub off even on the hardest of hearts, won’t depart the Maple Leafs with his head hung low.

“This entire call-up has been a great learning experience and I have been extremely fortunate to get some playing time,” Scrivens said on Friday as he took off his equipment following practice at the MasterCard Centre.

“Now that I’ve had it, which has been great, you just want more of it. That’s where my mindset is.”

All indications are that James Reimer will re-join the Leafs, if not start, during their two-game trip to Boston and New York. When that happens, Jonas Gustavsson will revert to his backup spot and Scrivens will resume his role with the Marlies.

Scrivens hasn’t played since the Leafs lost against the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 20. In eight appearances, he is 2-4-1 with a 2.96 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. Not the best numbers in the world, to be sure, but there were some nights that Scrivens was close to unbeatable.

Above all, he has served notice that he can be a dependable goaltender when he is recalled, a trait that has run through the majority of players summoned from the Marlies this season.

“There is a lot of talk of refilling the cupboard, and it’s coming through to fruition now,” Scrivens said. “You need guys who are going to step right up and play, and not just kill minutes, but make positive contributions on the ice.”

The bonus for Scrivens is that in the body of work he will take back to the Marlies — the relatively small sample size notwithstanding — is a gamut of situations, from stoning teams on the road to having to recover mentally from getting pulled at home.

“Columbus, we score four and I have a big lead to work with,” Scrivens said. “Phoenix, we’re down two goals and the whole game I felt like I had to keep us in it to give us a chance. Boston, where it was just a blowout. Coming cold off the bench against Florida.

“The great thing about this game is if I get another chance, it’s going to be a whole new set of experiences. The game is always changing, so dynamic.”

For Leafs coach Ron Wilson, Scrivens, through his overall performance, only confirmed what the staff knew.

“We’re convinced he has a bright future as a goaltender and we knew that after training camp,” Wilson said. “That’s why you have not seen us make any moves (for another goalie) in the meantime, because although they are inexperienced, these guys are going to be really good for a long time.”

Scrivens’ time is not yet now. But Reimer could get hurt again, or Gustavsson could, and he could be right back up with the Leafs.

“If I go down and start thinking, ‘Why shouldn’t I be at this level?’ — that’s when I am going to get myself in trouble,” Scrivens said. “I would want to stay up all year, but that won’t happen. I got a chance. I’m going to go back to the Marlies if that’s what they want, and work just as hard as I can with that team.

“Last year starting in the ECHL, maybe I should have been a little higher. But I wasn’t and I had to go down and play and earn my spot with the Marlies. That’s what I did. I’m going to do the same thing here (in going to the Leafs from the Marlies on a full-time basis).”



Will it be Reimer time in Boston?

By Lance Hornby ,Toronto Sun

James Reimer watched his mask drop into a hockey bag with a satisfying ‘plonk’ on Friday, knowing he’ll finally use it in a real game again in the next few days.

The Maple Leafs’ No. 1 goaltender pronounced himself able and willing to take on the Bruins on Saturday night to try and stop Boston running away with this home-and-home and the season’s series. However, cagey coach Ron Wilson is wavering a bit on his stated plan of re-introducing Reimer through a backup role Saturday and start him Monday in New York against the Rangers, but is keeping that possibility open.

“We’ve talked about it, but more than likely it’s going to be Gustavsson (at Boston),” Wilson said at the MasterCard Centre. “I read that (Buffalo’s concussed) Ryan Miller is dressing tonight, but not playing. Wanting to get (a recovering) goalie back into the game-day routine as a backup is not a bad idea. This isn’t being definitive on anything, but we’ve told Gustavsson he is playing tomorrow.”

Saturday marks six weeks since Reimer’s eggs were scrambled by a Brian Gionta hit against the Canadiens. The Leafs won the game to keep Reimer undefeated (4-0-1) and, to their credit, have a record of 9-7-1 minus the man projected as their MVP, amid other injuries. But as good as Gustavsson has been, Boston crushed him in two of the three meetings, and sent Ben Scrivens to an early shower in the other. Does that not mean Reimer should get strong consideration to play a day earlier?

“When you’re cleared to play, you’re ready to go,” Reimer said of getting the green light this week. “I’ve taken a few dings off the head, shots off my shoulders and there’s nothing (no pain). I’m 100%, or 120% if you want.

“This is what I love to do. It was so boring hanging around in here when I couldn’t practise. You wanted to get out there so badly. There are positives (to sitting), too. You get to see the game from a different perspective. I tried to take this time and learn the game better.”

Reimer said he won’t hesitate to risk contact when it gets messy in the crease, the hallmark of a few Bruins.

“They’ll do their job, I’ll do mine,” Reimer said of the scenario. “Division rivals, you hate them more than anyone else. We beat them a few times down the stretch last year, I’m sure we can do it again.”

Gustavsson’s NHL job status looked shaky when Scrivens put on a show for a few days, but take away the Boston games and he has an 8-3.

“I’m just happy to play a couple of games and get a couple of points for the team,” Gustavsson said of eventually going back to the end of the bench.

Boston’s 19 goals are already as many as the Leafs gave up in a six-game series against any Northeast Division rival last season. Toronto has responded with just five goals, a key reason why Wilson shuffled his lines on Friday. The cursed Nikolai Kulemin is now back with Mikhail Grabovski, while regular left winger Clarke MacArthur remains on a more high-profile unit with Tim Connolly and Matt Frattin.

The latest result against the Bruins was not indicative of the game being so close until the final five minutes, when Milan Lucic made it 5-3 and an empty-netter ensued.

“They’re a big group with great sticks and you saw that they don’t take very many penalties,” Wilson said in a sly reference to Wednesday’s power-play imbalance in Boston’s favour. “We have to try and score off the rush and get better at scoring in front of the net. Tim Thomas saw a lot of those shots (traffic free) the other night and we want him to have to work, dig in and be a little deeper in his net.”

The Leafs will likely add Cody Franson on defence, at the expense of Keith Aulie, with Franson bringing a harder shot.

There was to be a father-son dinner hosted by the team in Boston on Friday night and the special guests will also be in New York. Wilson said the presence of the fathers in the stands is not always the hoped-for inspiration to sons.

“One time we did this when we were a really good team in San Jose,” Wilson recalled. “Phoenix was dead last when we went in there with the dads and we lost 7-0. It was the worst loss we ever had.”



Five reasons Leafs need to beat Bruins

By Rob Longley ,Toronto Sun

BOSTON -

It can be one of the toughest buildings in the league to play in, in one of North America’s best sports towns. Especially now that the Boston Burins are reigning Stanley Cup champions.

And facing the Bruins at the TD Garden on a Saturday night with the glare of Hockey Night In Canada will only add to the atmosphere for the Beantown faithful.

There are no must-win games for the Leafs just yet, but as much as Wednesday’s 6-3 loss in the first of this home-and-home set was considered a measuring stick, Round 2 has its own significance.

In Wednesday’s game, the Leafs at least proved they could stick with the Bruins after two previous blowout losses. On Saturday, they need to take away some points.

Here’s five reasons why:

1. The Rivalry

The two teams haven’t met in the post-season since 1974 but they are Original Six rivals and in the same division.

With some starch gone from the Battle of Ontario in recent years, we throw this out there: Is it really a great leap to suggest that this is getting close to the Leafs’ biggest rivalry? (The answer on both sides is no, of course, Montreal holds that special place for each team. But Leafs-Bruins is starting to acquire an edge.)

“A rivalry is being created,” Bruins forward Milan Lucic said following Wednesday’s win, and it’s clear the Bruins save something special for the Leafs.

A true rivalry isn’t real if it’s mostly one-sided, however, and the Leafs have been out-scored 19-5 in three games so far this season.

2. The Trades

For all parties, both in and outside the dressing rooms of each team, talk of the two significant trades the clubs have made over the last couple seasons is annoying old news.

To the fans though, it won’t go away.

So when Tyler Seguin scored a hat trick against the Leafs earlier this season it at least partially ate into the feeling Leafs fans had about Phil Kessel leading the league in scoring. One of the spoils of being a passionate sports fan is to take a stand and argue your point. The Kessel trade, and to a lesser extent the Tomas Kaberle for Joe Colborne one, will provide ample material for the next decade.

One way for the Leafs to stop hearing about it would be with a big, road win.

3. A quality win

The Leafs can only pile up points against the teams that line up against them on any given night and they have, for the most part, done a good job against teams they should defeat.

Prior to Wednesday’s loss against the Bruins, they had won four of their previous five but of those only Dallas would have been considered a pure quality win. (Yes, they beat Washington 7-1 but the Capitals were in full get-the-coach-fired mode at that point.)

Their best wins so far have arguably come against pre-Sid Pittsburgh on Oct. 29, a road-weary Rangers outfit on Oct. 27, and last week’s win in Dallas.

This team is not lacking in confidence or the belief that it is going to the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. A win against the Bruins, would reaffirm all of the good they’ve done so far. It would also take some of the

heat off for Monday’s date in Manhattan against a Rangers team that has won four in a row.

4. Season series

It’s only Game 26, but Saturday’s contest will be the fourth meeting between the two Northeast Division foes. If the Bruins win, they’ll go up 4-0 and surely will hold an intimidation edge when they play their two remaining games in the season series in March.

Overall, the Leafs have a plus-1 goal differential. Take away the meetings with the Bruins and it would be plus-15.

“(A win in Boston) would be a chance to prove not only to us but to everyone else that we’re one of the top teams in the league,” Leafs defenceman Luke Schenn said.

5. ‘Thrill’ of Victory

Yes, the date of the trade is now measured in years and yes, Kessel gets borderline angry at the inevitable questions of what it will be like to be back in Boston — again. In that context, it really is old news, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t fire Kessel up.

You could see that in the way he reacted to missing a breakaway and in Bruins’ goalie Tim Thomas’s knowledge of what it meant to his former teammate.

The line looked to be having a good game on Wednesday. Joffrey Lupul scored on a nifty pass from Kessel and No. 81 seemed to have more jump than in most games against the Bruins. That said, the line was minus-3 on the night.

Kessel can’t do it all by himself, but if his teammates can help stake him to a big win, some of whatever pressure remains would be eased.



How to beat the Bruins

By Mike Zeisberger ,Toronto Sun

TORONTO -

Five things the Leafs must do to beat the Bruins on Saturday.

1. Tighten up defensively. Allowing in the neighbourhood of 40 shots against like the Leafs did in their 6-3 loss to Boston on Wednesday is a recipe for disaster against the Stanley Cup champions, especially on home ice. Of course, trying to contain hulking Milan Lucic in front of the Toronto net will be easier said than done. As well, whichever goalie the Leafs go with, he simply can’t allow the type of odorous goal that plagued Jonas Gustavsson on Wednesday.

2. Weather the early storm. You can bet the TD Garden is going to be raucous with a rare Saturday night tilt on Hockey Night in Canada against the Toronto Kessels. During the Stanley Cup final, the Bruins fed off the crowd with a relentless forecheck that featured carefully placed dump-ins that were followed by the wallpapering of opposing defenceman into the back boards. The Leafs need to keep their clearances simple and use their speed to keep the Bruins out of their end.

3. Memo to Phil Kessel: Wear earplugs. Kessel’s woes against his former mates are well documented, especially on Boston ice. With every chant of “Thank You Kess-el!” from the capacity Beantown throng, the enigmatic sniper seems to press even more. In order to finally beat the Bruins this season, Phil The Thrill needs to be at his best, not lapse into a shell.

4. Build on the momentum of Wednesday’s loss. The 6-3 scoreline was a bit misleading: In fact, the Leafs could have actually won the game with a favourable bounce or two. In fact, they actually made defending Vezina and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim Thomas look vulnerable at times. If the Leafs accentuate what they did well and forget about the mistakes, they might actually be able to bring some confidence into Boston despite being 0-3 against Boston this season.

5. Listen to your fathers! This is the Leafs’ annual dads trip and all the proud poppas will be watching intently. And NOBODY wants to get reemed out by your pop after a bad game, whether it’s leaving Scarborough’s McGregor Arena after a house league game or the TD Garden after an NHL tilt.


598121 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks, Flames set to renew ‘lot of history’ in Northwest hostilities

Home team will try to bounce back from Thursday loss to Predators

By Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun December 2, 2011

VANCOUVER — Being a southern Ontario guy, Vancouver Canucks rookie Cody Hodgson could only watch from afar when the Canucks and Calgary Flames went at each other's throats for supremacy in the NHL's Northwest Division.

The Canucks eventually emerged the better team post-lockout and have dominated the series of late, going 9-0-2 in the last 11 meetings. Hodgson has played in just one of those 11 — Vancouver's 5-1 win Nov. 1 in which he scored a goal — but he is well aware of the once blazing rivalry.

“I think anyone who watches Sportsnet or Sportscentre knows about it,” Hodgson said as he looked ahead to the next Canuck-Flame game, Sunday's 6 p.m. date at Rogers Arena (Sportsnet Pacific, Team 1040). “I know there is a lot of history going back to the playoffs and those Markus Naslund years. It's a lot like Toronto-Ottawa, something like that. Obviously Calgary has one of the best snipers in the league in Jarome Iginla.”

If recent history is noted, the Canucks had better be on their guard for a Flames group seeking redemption. In the past two weeks, the Canucks have dropped home games against opponents they thumped in a previous meeting.

• Exhibit A: Vancouver won 6-2 in Chicago on Nov. 6, then fell 5-1 to the Blackhawks 10 days later.

• Exhibit B: The Canucks beat Nashville 5-1 on Oct. 20 and, of course, went down 6-5 to the Preds in Thursday's Battle of the Ventilated Netminders.

“It's tough to explain the Nashville game, or even what happened against Chicago,” said Hodgson. “I think we've done a pretty good job of keeping our highs low and our lows pretty high. We try to stay even keel through the season, at least mentally. But, obviously, we have some things to work on and we're going to shore those up and come ready against Calgary on Sunday.”

Although the Canucks were given Friday off, which postponed for 24 hours the next chapter in their goalie soap opera — Roberto Luongo? Cory Schneider? Who starts? — Hodgson planned to dwell a bit on Thursday's debacle.

“I like to think about the game and go over the tapes” he said. “A lot of guys come in on a day off to watch tapes or use the steam room and stuff like that. I thought we played hard against Nashville and we had a real opportunity to win the game. That's just kind of the way it went.”

The Canucks did do well to gain the offensive zone and direct pucks at the Nashville net Thursday. In fact, they had a whopping 81 attempts at Pekka Rinne and Anders Lindback with 37 getting through, 21 getting blocked and another 23 missing. By contrast, the Preds directed just 37 shots at Schneider and Luongo with 20 reaching the goaltenders.

Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa insisted the team was in decent shape despite squandering a 5-3 lead against Nashville and surrendering 48 shots two nights earlier against bottom-feeding Columbus. Neither is considered an offensive juggernaut.

“We're happy with the way we're playing,” Bieksa said. “I don't think what happened against Nashville changes anything. We're playing good hockey right now regardless of the outcome of the Nashville game. We are not going to be down on ourselves. If we play that way against Calgary, we'll be all right.”

Added fourth-line centre Max Lapierre: “What happened [Thursday] happened and it's done now. We know Calgary is going to come hard at us and we're going to have to be ready for another big challenge.”

The Flames, who are in Edmonton on Saturday, will be the first so-called “tired team” to come into Vancouver this season. In the Canucks' first 11 home games, their opponent had at least one night off between games, if not two or more.

Otherwise, Canucks assistant GM Laurence Gilman said left-winger Mason Raymond's paperwork was submitted to NHL headquarters Friday morning. Raymond, who was slated to play Thursday against Nashville, was ruled ineligible because the paperwork hadn't been submitted before a 2 p.m. deadline. He hasn't played since June 13 when he suffered a vertebrae compression fracture in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final.

ICE CHIPS: Key Flames defenceman Mark Giordano is out indefinitely with partially ruptured tendons in his left leg. He was hurt Tuesday trying to block a shot against Nashville ... Based on Friday's league stats, the Flames were dead last on faceoffs (44.3 per cent) and 27th in offence, averaging 2.25 goals per game. The Canucks were fourth on offence with a 3.12 goal per game average.

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 12.03.2011


Canucks goalie crisis? Call it seasonally affective disorder

From despair to alarm, hope and heartbreak, Vancouver fans, team weather Luongo-Schneider high-pressure system

By Cam Cole, Vancouver Sun columnist December 2, 2011

VANCOUVER — People who move to Vancouver from other parts of Canada often lament that they miss the four seasons.

Roberto Luongo has no idea what they’re talking about.

The four seasons, he must know, are clear enough in the eyes of many a Vancouver Canucks fan: Despair, Alarm, Hope and Heartbreak.

And anger is the background music, the rain that knows no season but falls on Canada’s gold-medal-winning goaltender — sometimes just a mist, sometimes like cats and dogs — from time to time, all year round.

While most of the nation braces for winter, Canuck fans are drumming their fingers on their armrests, impatient for the longest season, Hope — which typically runs from November through April, though most recently it extended into early June — to begin.

Last spring’s later-than-usual arrival of Heartbreak, which coincided with the 32-year-old goalie’s inglorious Stanley Cup Final meltdown against the Boston Bruins, pushed back the onset of Despair, which fills the months leading up to training camp with the suspicion that Luongo’s $5.33-million annual salary cap hit through 2021-22 makes any change in the climate before the grandchildren are in college highly iffy.

But it must be an El Nino hockey year, because we are already a couple of months into Alarm, which normally lasts only as long as the goaltender’s annual early-season slump, and anger remains a steady drizzle, with gusts.

This is no ordinary goaltending discussion.

This is Vancouver, and even Montrealers, who had their own Carey Price-Jaroslav Halak melodrama, and Torontonians, whose goalie controversies involve whichever two (or three, or four) stick their heads above the crowd in a given year, regard Vancouver as chronically overwrought.

This may even be true.

If the Canucks were playing better team defence, the apologists argue, coach Alain Vigneault could play Jack the Janitor in goal, and win.

But Thursday night, the table was all set for Luongo to finally put the world back on its proper axis after a few weeks of stupendous play by his backup, Cory Schneider, had the more excitable element among Canuck fans speculating that Luongo might now actually be the No. 2 man.

Schneider had been the first star of five consecutive games, and by every measurable standard had been so far superior to Luongo in the first two months of Alarm, he had made it impossible for Vigneault to get his nominal franchise netminder back in the net.

But then the offensively challenged Nashville Predators rolled into town, and pumped two quick ones past Schneider on their first two shots — bad angle affairs by David Legwand and Mike Fisher — en route to a three-goal first period (on five shots).

This opened the door for Luongo to be reintroduced to the blue paint in a no-lose situation. No explanation required.

So out he came to start the second period, greeted by that “ooooo!” sound that could be Lou or could be boo, depending on the mood. This sounded like half and half.

The Canucks, down 3-1 at intermission, responded as if stuck with a cattle prod, scoring four unanswered goals to drive Nashville’s Pekka Rinne from the net, but alas, the shock treatment didn’t last, and Nashville got three of their last eight shots past Luongo to win 6-5. The loss, naturally, went on Luongo’s record.

Vigneault’s withering glare afterwards, when asked why he had removed Schneider, could have bored a hole in concrete.

“Do I really need to explain that?” he said. “They got three goals on five shots, and two of them were scoring chances. Let’s figure it out here.”

He didn’t excuse Luongo, either, including him in the crappy goaltending basket where he laid most of the blame for the loss.

The goalies were suitably contrite — Schneider saying, “I put us in a hole we had to dig out of, and it probably cost us the game” and Luongo adding, “Me and Schneids are not real happy right now. We want to be better for our teammates and we’re going to go to work to do that.”

In fairness to both goalies (and both of Nashville’s), it was one of those wild-and-crazy games in which defence plays but a cameo role, an amazing show of skill and derring-do that is wondrous to fans but makes both coaches throw up their hands and surrender.

The Canucks played most of the game in Nashville’s end and had untold five-star chances to put the game away in the third period, but at least one goalie, backup Anders Lindback, was up to the challenge. He essentially won the game for the Preds, who coach Barry Trotz said would “get out of here very, very quiet, because I don’t think we deserved to win the game.”

Vigneault and Canucks GM Mike Gillis are clearly agitated by the continuing soap opera surrounding Luongo, and Gillis in particular is at pains to blame it on the media — including, we imagine, radio callers and fans who write in to comment on newspaper stories.

But the phenomenon is very real, and Thursday’s episode hasn’t cleared anything up.

In any other town, all things (like contracts) being equal, there would be little argument: Schneider, whose save percentage (.930) and goals-against average (2.12) are miles better than Luongo’s .892 and 3.05, would continue to play until Luongo proved — by winning enough of the starts he gets — to reclaim his No. 1 status.

But the world in which Luongo came out of Thursday night’s effort ranked 36th among 39 goalies in save percentage and 31st in GAA, is only real in the minds of the terminally naive.

Here, Luongo must play. Now that he’s got his feet wet, he will probably play Sunday against Calgary, and because it is his hometown and such things matter, Thursday in Montreal.

In other words, whether or not Alarm is over and Hope has truly begun, the process of putting the toothpaste back in the tube is now underway in earnest.

“Cory is a work in progress, and Roberto is our No. 1 goalie,” Gillis said the other day. “You can't argue with his body of work and you can't argue with what he's accomplished.”

Well, actually, you can. But it’s rude, and — hockey being a team game — possibly unfair. Almost like professional sports, that way.

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 12.03.2011


Canucks-Preds: A crazy game nobody could have predicted

By Tony Gallagher, The ProvinceDecember 2, 2011

Tuesday night the Vancouver Canucks were of the opinion they surrendered a lot more shots that weren’t dangerous than they did real scoring chances, and promised they’d change things in their next game by tightening up.

Turns out they did change things, but did so by giving up almost more goals than chances.

In a crazy game that nobody would have predicted with a red-hot Cory Schneider starting in goal for Vancouver and one of the best in the game in Pekka Rinne at the other end, this one had more entertainment than a traditional season of Preds hockey.

Shea Weber was launching rockets and after a sluggish first period the Sedin line with a hard-working Alex Burrows was dancing and dominating. Ryan Kesler’s line with the tremendous work of Chris Higgins and a flying David Booth was -causing havoc and the persistent fire drill every time Andrew Alberts and Keith Ballard took to the ice created all kinds of opportunities for the Preds in the first two periods, even though they didn’t turn that into many shots.

And the game featured the return of Roberto Luongo after coach Alain Vigneault took the easy -opportunity to get him back in after Schneider had given up three goals in the first period.

The game appeared to have been lost at that point, given Nashville’s usual checking prowess. But the Canucks got four goals in the second and Dan Hamhuis almost stretched that to a three-goal lead when he hit the post with Vancouver up 5-3 and that coaching decision looked like a stroke of genius.

And had Hamhuis scored, -maybe the Preds would have packed it in, given that it was their last of a five-game road trip. Instead, they attacked for the rest of the second session, and just in case Vancouver fans had forgotten, Luongo -treated them to a full facial plant in his first period back when Colin Wilson tied the game at 5-5 late in the second period on the power play.

“We’re not a team that is used to giving up, but we don’t score a lot of goals, and after getting three in the first and then giving up four in the second, some teams might have gone out easy,” said Mike Fisher, who potted the winner against a tidal wave of the play.

“Getting a couple back in the second helped and even though we didn’t generate much in the third we found a way.”

In fact, the Canucks totally territorially owned the Preds in the third period, pressing for the winner, but didn’t shoot the puck enough. And Luongo again flashed the full facial in giving up the winner against the run of the play with at least one point just 76 seconds away.

All in all it was more entertainment in one game between these teams than we’ve seen in the previous 10, and nobody could accuse the Canucks of either lacking the work ethic or losing dull on this night.

But Luongo’s performance certainly didn’t make the goaltending decision for the Calgary game Sunday any easier.

“Maybe we got a little too cute around the net there in the third, but we had some chances and I thought we played pretty well,” said Higgins, who has been tremendous most of the season. “They made the most of their chances, and that’s really all that needs to be said about that.”

Daniel Sedin also thought the Canucks dominated and played well, and credited the Preds for finishing their chances, something Vancouver couldn’t manage in the third.

“I think these things even out over the season, and as a team tonight I thought we played well and didn’t give up much,” he said. “We had maybe twice as many scoring chances.

“There was a good feeling in the room when Lui was going to get his chance and when that happened Cory was right behind him.”

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.03.2011


Ugly game: Both 'breakdowns' and net need better tending

By Gordon McIntyre, The ProvinceDecember 2, 2011

When your starter lets in three goals on five shots and his replacement three goals on 15 shots, team breakdowns don’t exactly stand out.

But poor play from both Canucks goalies — c’mon, a combined save percentage of .700? Against Nashville? — couldn’t entirely cover up all the mistakes that were made in front of them on Thursday night.

“There are going to be breakdowns in games, there are going to be mistakes,” Alain Vigneault said, noting he was happy with everything but an 0-for-3 penalty kill and the goaltending.

“You’re not going to be perfect all the time. Tonight we made some mistakes that wound up in the back of our net.

“That’s hockey.”

Thrilling hockey, at that — it had what Bob Cole would call “everything going on” — but let’s look at the Nashville goals and, poor goaltending aside, examine the breakdowns.

David Legwand scored from low in the corner on Nashville’s ensuing power play to open scoring.

Cory Schneider should have had it, but Nashville had owned the puck the entire 1:02 it took them to score, the Canucks failing to ice it when they had the chance.

Mike Fisher skated around -Kevin Bieksa on the second Preds goal, one again that Schneider should have had.

Then, after a Henrik Sedin holding penalty negated a Canucks

5-on-4, Shea Weber on the ensuing Nashville power play was uncovered and blasted one home to make it 3-1 heading into the second.

Down 5-3 with four minutes to go in the second period, Nashville’s -Jordin Tootoo was all alone in the slot.

Then, when short-handed -Bieksa tried to join the rush and the puck was turned over, he went to the bench for a bad change and Aaron Rome could not catch up to Colin Wilson, who made it 5-5.

And on the winning goal, for some reason Aaron Rome and Alex Edler both went for Martin Erat on a rush, leaving Mike Fisher to put in Erat’s feed.

It was definitely not a typical Canucks-Preds game: Last season in four games, the clubs combined for just 14 goals, just three more than were scored last night.

Heading into the game, Bieksa had warned the Canucks couldn’t let Nashville hang around, that the Canucks had to bury them.

Up 5-3 halfway through the second period, you’d think they’d done that, but no.

“They hung in there, that’s what they do best, that’s what they did to us in the playoffs, hung around,” Bieksa said.

“We can’t ask for more -offensively. We had twice as many shots as them, we were all over them in the third period.

“Even if you play well, you can’t win every game in this league and we played well tonight.

“We had plenty of chances to win, but that’s the way hockey goes.”

Nashville, for their part, felt they’d lucked one out.

“We’ll get out of here very, very -quiet because I don’t think we deserved to win the game,” Predators coach Barry Trotz said.



Murray, Bure receive IIHF hall call

Postmedia NewsDecember 2, 2011

Andy Murray, who coached Canada to three world championship gold medals, was named as part of the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame class.

Murray, from Gladstone, Man., will be inducted in the builder category. Joining him in this year's class are players Pavel Bure, Phil Housley, Raimo Helminen and Milan Novy.

Murray guided Canada to the world title in 1997, 2003 and '07 and was also behind the bench in 1998 when Canada placed sixth. His last victory was his most decisive as Canada won all nine of its games in 2007 and outscored the opposition 41-21.

Canada hasn't won a gold medal since.

Bure starred in the NHL between 1991 and 2003, but his international career began at the 1989 IIHF world junior championship when he led the Soviet Union to the gold medal. He finished his junior career with two golds and a silver at the under-20 tournament. He also won gold and bronze medals at the world championships, and silver and bronze in two Olympic appearances for Russia.

Housley played in the NHL between 1982 and 2003, but also made numerous appearances for the United States on the international stage highlighted by a gold medal at the 1996 World Cup and silver at the 2002 Olympics.

Helminen, of Finland, played in a record six Olympics for his country between 1984 and 2002. When he retired he'd been a part of every medal-winning team at the worlds and Olympics in his country's history.

Novy played for Czechoslovakia between 1975 and 1982. He won two world championship gold medals and was a tournament all-star at the 1976 Canada Cup, the first major international competition that allowed professional players to compete.

Toronto native Kent Angus will also receive the Paul Loicq Award for outstanding contributions to international hockey. Angus, who works for Nike, has been in charge of providing jerseys and off-ice apparel to all world championship teams since 1995, including 49 world championships and four Olympics.

All will be inducted into the hall at a ceremony in Helsinki in May 20, the final day of the 76th IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. The inductees will be joined by Kent Angus (Canada), who will receive the Paul Loicq Award for outstanding contributions to the IIHF and international hockey.



Canucks player ratings for Dec. 1 vs. Nashville

The ratings have been tallied for Thursday’s game against the Nashville Predators, and Cory Schneider went from first to worst, according to White Towel readers.

Here’s a table with the season average for each player (on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best), and the scores for the Predators game as voted by our readers:

PLAYER SEASON AVG. DEC. 1 VS. NASHVILLE (6-5 L)

SCHNEIDER 3.7 1.7

.

HIGGINS 3.5 3.5

.

HODGSON 3.5 3.8

.

LAPIERRE 3.3 3.6

.

SALO 3.3

.

BURROWS 3.2 3.8

.

D SEDIN 3.2 3.8

.

H SEDIN 3.2 3.6

.

EDLER 3.1 3.1

.

BALLARD 3.1 3.1

.

HAMHUIS 3.1 3

.

BOOTH 3 3.3

.

KESLER 3 2.8

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ROME 3 2.6

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HANSEN 3 2.9

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SULZER 2.9

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VOLPATTI 2.9 3.3

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WEISE 2.9 3

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ALBERTS 2.8 2.5

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TANEV 2.8

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LUONGO 2.7 1.8

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MALHOTRA 2.7 3

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BIEKSA 2.7 2.1

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EBBETT 2.6


598127 Washington Capitals

Capitals adjusting to new Coach Dale Hunter’s system

By Katie Carrera

Upon arriving in Washington earlier this week, Capitals Coach Dale Hunter made clear that his first priority would be improving the team’s play in its own zone. Once a solid defensive structure is in place, Hunter believes, success in other areas of the ice will follow.

Washington is seeking its first victory under Hunter, and the team struggled to create offense in his first two games, getting outshot by a combined 65-36. The first-time NHL coach sees progress, though, in the Capitals’ grasp and execution of the style of play he is preaching.

One of the significant alterations is that the Capitals are taking more of a man-on-man approach to an aggressive, pressure-based defense. In order to be successful, players must win one-on-one battles for pucks. By marking individual foes rather than rotating through zone coverage, there is less confusion among the defensemen and forwards over whom each should cover.

For example, against the Penguins on Thursday night, defenseman Karl Alzner was tasked with shadowing Sidney Crosby, and the Capitals blue-liner managed to hold the all-star center off the scoresheet.

“The onus is on that individual player to win their battle every time,” Alzner said. “If you don’t win your battle and you get beat, then we’re going to have an issue and you hope someone’s going to bail you out — your goalie or a weak-side forward. But it’s good this way; it keeps everybody extremely honest. You’ve got to make sure you’re doing your job and winning your job or it’s not going to work.”

Defensemen say they’ve been tasked with being about a stick-length away from an opponent, close enough to limit options without being so tight that it allows them to be beaten easily.

The hitch with this approach is that it can be more physically draining. It also likely will challenge Washington’s defense, which has been vulnerable against speedy opponents this season.

“It’s all about being in the right position when you don’t have the puck,” said assistant coach Jim Johnson, who was hired this week to help implement a more defensive mind-set. “I think most players are adaptable to any system, and they’ve all been receptive to the changes we’re making and ready to learn.”

Johnson said one of his goals is for defensemen to have an extra second or so to make correct decisions. To buy some of that time, the Capitals are using a 1-2-2 trap to slow things down in the neutral zone.

By making sure players, both forwards and blue-liners, are in defensively sound positions, Washington aims to reduce the odd-man rushes that have plagued its season and become an opportunistic team off the transition. If the Capitals have an edge in manpower, Johnson said he wants them to stand up and pressure opponents at the blue line and eliminate the need for playing in their own end entirely.

Cutting down on those breaks for foes is something that allows the Capitals to build confidence and regain control in their end.

“In Toronto, the puck would go up the boards, I’d try to step up and all they have to do is chip off the boards and if they have a step on our forwards it’s a two-on-one like that and creates a scoring chance,” defenseman John Erskine said. “By just accepting the rush, we take that away; that’s a good feeling.”

Said defenseman Jeff Schultz: “I think maybe a little bit easier, safer. I think at times [under former coach Bruce Boudreau] we were trying to force too many plays. The other teams were turning it over right at our blue line and they’d come back. Where now if we have nothing, just chip it out and let our forwards skate on to it in the neutral zone.”

Hunter and Johnson are quick to point out that their system is solely the responsibility of the defensemen. There is pressure on the forwards to back-check and pitch in to the effort in their own end. So far, players have been receptive. For example, in the last two games, Alex Ovechkin and

other forwards were rarely seen floating near the offensive blue line waiting for a stretch pass.

“The biggest thing is he wants a three-on-three down low,” winger Mike Knuble said of the forwards’ role in the defensive zone. “There’s no switching, stay with your guy, and if there is a breakdown that extra winger has to be the last line of defense in front of the net.

After spending the bulk of the past four seasons becoming identified as an offensive juggernaut, the Capitals undoubtedly will take time to adjust to Hunter’s approach. But when asked this week if it’s tough to sell players on his approach, Hunter said any system that provides a better chance to win should be supported.

“Everybody wants to score goals; everybody does,” Hunter said before drawing on an example of why his system was suited to a game like his debut against St. Louis. “There was no room in the neutral zone; [the Blues] had four guys in there, so it’s a cat-and-mouse game out there where you can’t just go through it and turn pucks over. Instead of having a chance to win, you’re down, 6-1. You’ve got to stick to the system.”

Washington Post LOADED: 12.03.2011


Capitals vs. Penguins: Dale Hunter still looking for first win as Washington falls to Pittsburgh

By Katie Carrera

The Pittsburgh Penguins inspire fiery performances from the Washington Capitals. Thursday night’s visit to Verizon Center, with new Coach Dale Hunter behind the Capitals’ bench, was no exception.

Washington played an energetic, physical game against its bitter rivals, skating with spunk that was lacking in recent contests, but the performance didn’t result in a victory. Pittsburgh captured a 2-1 win, extending Capitals’ losing streak to four and claiming its first regular season victory in regulation over Washington since March 9, 2008, a span of 14 games.

Washington is 3-9-1 in its last 13 outings and has been limited to one goal in six of the past nine games, including each of the past three. Against Pittsburgh, the Capitals mustered just 17 shots on goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

“We played too much in our own end,” said Hunter, who is still searching for his first win after two games as an NHL coach. “We have to get the puck out quicker .?.?. so we don’t play as much time [there]. It’s very tiresome to the guys and by the time they get it out, they almost have to dump and change so we have to get it out of there.”

The dearth of offensive production stems in part from the adjustments Washington is making to Hunter’s defense-first system, which requires the team to create chances off transitions and heavy forechecks. But taking just two shots in the third period and none in the final 5 minutes 32 seconds is not a trend the Capitals (12-11-1) want to continue.

“It was something new for us. It’s new system,” said Alex Ovechkin, who recorded just one shot on goal in 19:22 of ice time but was credited with 10 hits. “I think when you get the cycle you have to go to the net — right now it’s just a period of time. Goals is going to come. It’s not going to be like we score every game one goal; it’s never going to happen to this team. .?.?. We have to get used” to the system.

Pittsburgh (15-7-4) got off to a strong start, establishing itself in the offensive zone and taking a 1-0 lead on a goal by fourth-liner Craig Adams just 5:21 into the contest. But the Capitals didn’t sulk and responded by forcing their way down the ice.

Despite spending more time in the offensive zone, though, the Capitals couldn’t generate many shots on goal — they finished with only four in the first period — and numerous quality scoring chances fizzled with giveaways and shots that never reached the target.

“Right now I think we’re cycling the puck and we’re not getting the pucks to the net,” said Dennis Wideman, who led Washington with 26:02 of playing time. “Our D, we’re not getting shots through when we get the opportunity. I think when we get a chance we’ve got to get it to the net, and when we get our scoring chances we have to hit the net.”

As has often been the case this season, third-line winger Jason Chimera would finally put the Capitals on the scoreboard. Carrying the puck out of the left corner in the offensive zone, Chimera cut in front of the net looking as though he would pass but instead whipped a backhander past Fleury inside the right post to make it 1-1 with 1:20 elapsed in the second period. It was Chimera’s team-leading 10th goal, equaling his total from last season.

Forty-one seconds later, Washington had one of its best chances of the night. Ovechkin made a nifty cross-ice pass to set up Nicklas Backstrom coming down the left side as Fleury dropped in the crease as he went side to side. But rather than finding the open cage, the Swedish center’s shot glanced off the crossbar.

“When you have luck, the puck goes in,” Ovechkin said. “If he’s going to have 20 more chances, he’s going to put in 19. This was one chance and he missed it.”

When prime scoring chances are few, though, the misses seem magnified and Washington has been outshot 65-36 in its first two games under Hunter.

Less than three minutes into the third period, Chris Kunitz fought off both Marcus Johansson and John Erskine to retrieve a puck entering the Capitals’ zone.

The Penguins forward cut into the slot and his shot went between Tomas Vokoun’s left arm and his body. Vokoun finished with 33 saves, but that goal would prove to be the difference.

“You play the game; you’re not thinking about mistakes,” Vokoun said. “You’re in the game and you worry about stopping the puck. It’s tough to win with one goal. It’s definitely not easy when things are not going well, and obviously we’re not getting the pressure in their zone and we’re not scoring.”

Capitals notes: Mike Green missed a 10th consecutive game with a strained right groin. .?.?. Roman Hamrlik and Mathieu Perreault were healthy scratches.



Bruce Boudreau introduced as head coach of Anaheim Ducks

By Katie Carrera

Just three days after it was announced he would be replaced by Dale Hunter in Washington, Bruce Boudreau was on the ice guiding the Anaheim Ducks through his first practice as their new bench boss.

The Ducks announced late Wednesday night that Boudreau, 56, would replace Randy Carlyle as head coach. Boudreau inherits an underachieving Ducks squad that is 7-13-4, second to last in the Western Conference, and 10 points out of a playoff spot. But fixer-uppers are nothing really new for Boudreau, who led a Capitals team that was 6-14-1 when he took over in 2007 to a Southeast Division title and the playoffs.

“It’s going to take time, but I think we can do it in the next four months,” Boudreau said during his press conference Thursday afternoon. “I told them this morning I believe in them.”

Boudreau’s contract is for two years. Ducks General Manager Bob Murray contacted Washington about getting in touch with the coach as soon as the Capitals decided to let him go.

“It’s great to be here,” Boudreau said. “I don’t think opportunities like this come around every day, with the talent we have here I jumped at it.”



Mike Knuble skates with second line in Capitals’ practice

By Katie Carrera

About nine minutes into the first period Thursday night against the Penguins, there was a familiar combination on the ice for the Capitals as Mike Knuble skated a shift with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. The trio created the best offensive pressure in the game to that point and got off three shots on goal.

They weren’t together the entire game but it’s possible that more time among the top six forwards could be in the offing for the veteran right wing. Based on the shift charts available at TimeOnIce.com, Knuble skated parts of six shifts with Ovechkin and Backstrom with three coming in the first period and the other three shifts occurring late in the third period.

“We did have a good shift,” Knuble said. “Ovi probably deserved to score there, [Marc-Andre] Fleury made a great save on him. I think it kind of happened on accident and he kind of let it go for two, three more shifts.”

Eight minutes and 15 seconds into the contest, Troy Brouwer, who has often skated on the top line with Ovechkin and Backstrom this year, hopped over the boards for a shift with Jeff Halpern and Matt Hendricks. The next shift Knuble, Ovechkin and Backstrom were sent onto the ice.

“With Mike it gives them a chance, he scored some big goals here and he goes to the net well,” Coach Dale Hunter said. “So it backs off the D and creates some chances for our skilled guys.”

Knuble played the first two games of the season on the first line before being dropped to the second against the Penguins back on Oct. 13. Then at the end of October, after Washington’s 7-4 loss to Vancouver, Knuble was demoted to the fourth line where he’s spent the majority of his playing time since.

In Friday’s practice at KCI, though, Knuble was working on the right side of a line with Alexander Semin and Marcus Johansson with Cody Eakin rotating in.

“I think I just come in and I’m ready for anything,” Knuble said. “I hope to be in the mix, to be in the nine or 10 forwards that he’s going with.”



The Good Ol’ Hockey Game: Bruce Boudreau, Randy Carlyle and the NHL coaching carousel

By Tarik El-Bashir

This feature is part of our bi-weekly look at the NHL, which appears every other Sunday on Page 2 of the print edition.

On Nov. 21, Bruce Boudreau became the fastest coach to reach 200 victories. On Nov. 28, he was fired by the Washington Capitals.

While the flurry of news came as a surprise to many, it shouldn’t have. NHL general managers fire coaches as fast as the Washington Redskins change quarterbacks.

Consider these statistics from the Elias Sports Bureau:

*In February 2004, Joel Quenneville was fired in St. Louis, Bobby Francis was canned in Phoenix and Glen Sather relinquished his coaching duties in New York. That happened in the span of two days.

*When Boudreau makes his debut behind the Ducks’ bench, he’ll be the first to coach two teams in the same season since 2006-07, when Ken Hitchcock started the season in Philadelphia and finished in Columbus. But he’ll be the seventh to do double duty in league history.

*The six days between his final game behind the Capitals’ bench and his first behind Anaheim’s will be the shortest any coach has been unemployed. The previous record was held by Hall of Famer Roger Nielson, who was between jobs for 15 days after he was fired in Vancouver and hired in Los Angeles during the 1983-84 season.

Answering why a coach gets fired is much more difficult than figuring out when it’s time, it seems.

Ask most players and general managers why the lifespan for a coach is so short and you’ll likely get a shrug, followed by, “That’s a very good question.”

It tends to happen when some, or all, of a team’s players lose faith in their coach’s methods. The losses begin to pile up. Some defeats are unsightly and lopsided. In the meeting room, the coach starts to sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher.

“It doesn’t look good on us players,” said Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby.

St. Louis General Manager Doug Armstrong added: “It does seem to me as a manager that there’s a lot of coaches [being fired]. Before they even get settled in, they’re gone. I’m not sure it’s healthy, and I’m not sure it’s something that as management we’re proud of. But it’s a cycle we’re going through in the game of hockey right now.”

On Nov. 6, Armstrong fired Davis Payne and replaced him with veteran bench boss Hitchcock. The Blues opened the season 6-7-0 and had sunk to 14th in the Western Conference when Armstrong made his move.

“You try and project the future,” Armstrong said, “and whether it’s going to change. If you believe that there’s not going to be a change, you have to make hard decisions.”

Ideally, Armstrong said, teams would stand by their man, pointing to Buffalo and Nashville as examples of that commitment that’s needed.

Sabres Coach Lindy Ruff is the league’s longest-tenured coach; he’s been in Buffalo since 1997. A month after Ruff was hired, Barry Trotz was introduced in Nashville. He’s been there ever since.

“There’s a lot to be said about continuity,” Armstrong added. “The players now understand that they have to take responsibility for their play. It’s not going to be someone else who is going to pay the piper for inadequacies in the group. That longevity is something we all strive for.”

But in the high-stakes world of professional sports, Armstrong said, patience is easy to preach and hard to put into practice.

“Making a change for change’s sake, I don’t buy,” continued Armstrong, who previously served as general manager in Dallas from 2002-2007. “In Dallas, I hired Dave Tippet and we were together until I got let go. I always

believed Dave was the best coach for the job so we never made a change. Ultimately, [ownership] decided to change the manager because he wouldn’t change the coach.”

Since hiring Hitchcock, the Blues have pulled it together and gone 8-1-2, catapulting themselves into fifth place in the west.

But change is coming more slowly in Washington. The Capitals fell in their first two games under new coach Dale Hunter, getting out-shot by a combined 65-36 in losses to the Blues and Penguins, who made one of the most famous mid-season switches in league history.

Bylsma said he sees similarities between the situation he inherited and Hunter’s.

“It’s a very good team with good players and they’re not where they want to be and so they made a change,” he said. “So there are some parallels there. They have a significant amount of time in a hockey season left, whereas when I came in there were 25 games and we were looking at the end of the season already.”

No one can forecast whether Hunter will be as successful, but Bylsma is sure of one thing: Regardless of their win-loss record or the trophies in their case, most coaches are essentially hired to be fired.

“Bruce Boudreau, within the last two weeks was fastest to 200 wins in the National Hockey League,” he said. “And before he gets to his 202nd win, he gets let go. It gives you pause for the longevity of coaching in this league.”

Washington Times LOADED: 12.03.2011


Updated: Roman Hamrlik out with lower-body injury

By Katie Carrera

Update: Coach Dale Hunter said that Hamrlik is out with lower-body injury and that’s why the veteran defenseman was scratched on Thursday against the Penguins.

“It’s just day-to-day, it’s nothing serious,” Hunter said, adding that there has not been a decision made about Hamrlik’s status for Washington’s game against Ottawa on Saturday.

Roman Hamrlik, who was scratched for the game against the Penguins, is not on the ice for Capitals’ practice Friday. The veteran defenseman is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, according to a team spokesman.

When Hunter told reporters that Hamrlik would be scratched against Pittsburgh Thursday evening, he explained the move.

“It’s a feeling,” Hunter said at the time. “It’s one of those things that we just decided as a coaching staff.”

Hamrlik, 37, has a team-worst rating of minus-10 in 23 games this season.



No disciplinary hearing for John Carlson following hit on Matt Cooke

By Katie Carrera

In the waning moments of Washington’s 2-1 loss to the Penguins at Verizon Center Thursday, defenseman John Carlson skated up through the defensive zone and hit Pittsburgh forward Matt Cooke.

Carlson’s right arm appeared to make contact with Cooke’s head on the hit. Cooke, a noted NHL villain, was not injured on the play.

Carlson will not have a disciplinary hearing with Brendan Shanahan, the NHL’s vice president of player safety, and will not face any punishment following the hit according to league spokesman John Dellapina.



Dale Hunter’s system creates opportunity for John Erskine

By Katie Carrera

John Erskine is one player who has voiced his approval of the defensive system Coach Dale Hunter is working to institute with the Capitals.

Less than six minutes into the first period in the Capitals’ 2-1 loss to Penguins on Thursday night, John Erskine dropped the gloves and won a fight against Arron Asham.

Erskine said he was only trying to get the Capitals going just after Craig Adams scored to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead, but he also happened to be fighting the player who knocked out Jay Beagle back on Oct. 13. Beagle has missed 21 games since suffering a concussion in the fight with Asham and there was speculation if any of the Capitals might challenge the noted tough guy to a bout.

“There’s a lot of pride in the room there,” Coach Dale Hunter said of the fight. “He was sticking up for his teammate and he did a great job.”

In addition to the fight, Erskine had a rather solid all-around game. Granted, he was on the ice and was one of two Capitals (Marcus Johansson was the other) who failed to prevent Chris Kunitz from entering the zone and creating the play that led to the eventual game-winning goal, but Erskine is someone who appears suited to succeed with Hunter’s system.

Erskine played 13:19 and was credited with three hits and one blocked shot. He also did a strong job of guarding talented Evgeni Malkin, who despite not having a point may have been the best player on the ice in the contest.

With 4:50 remaining in the first period, Erskine poke-checked Malkin as he barreled down the right wing. The defenseman then finished a hard check against the Pittsburgh center, sending him into the corner boards.

“I knew he was going to do a little dangle and go left to right,” Erskine said. “I just kind of let him come into me and got lucky and got the puck.”



Capitals’ prospect Philipp Grubauer named ECHL goalie of the month

By Katie Carrera

Capitals’ prospect Philipp Grubauer has been named the ECHL’s Goaltender of the Month for November.

Grubauer, a fourth round draft pick in 2010, posted a 6-1-1 record with a .935 save percentage and 1.73 goals-against average for the South Carolina Stingrays in eight games last month.

The 20-year-old German netminder is 9-1-1 with a .935 save percentage and 1.80 goals against average this season for the Stingrays.



Capitals seek to create more offense from their defense

By Stephen Whyno

The Washington Times


Things are different for the Washington Capitals under coach Dale Hunter than they were under Bruce Boudreau. But some things — like losing — have remained the same through two games.

“I just think the results are the same right now — we’re not scoring any goals,” forward Matt Hendricks said. “We weren’t scoring goals the last few games with Bruce, either. They’re just not going in.”

The Caps go into Saturday night’s game against the Ottawa Senators having scored just one goal in six of the past nine games. More importantly, they’ve scored one goal apiece in the first two games with Hunter at the helm, something that many are attributing to adjusting to a new system and the difficulty of producing offense from a different defensive strategy.

“We’ve just got to have a couple of things we’ve got to get better on. It’s more we’ve got to turn defense to offense,” center Nicklas Backstrom said. “That’s what we’ve got to get better on and make sure we get the puck stuck in our offensive zone.”

Hunter’s 1-2-2 neutral zone trap is something the Caps are slowly getting used to. The integration of that system, and others, has been referred to with the phrase “baby steps.” Hendricks said for the fourth line it’s not hard to adjust, because the grinders played that way before.

But for the rest of the lineup, it has proven a challenge to get going offensively.

“We played a little too much in our own end, so we have to get the puck out quicker where we have possession of the puck and move the puck quicker out of our own end so we don’t play as much time,” Hunter said. “I think it’s very tiresome to the guys, and by the time they get it out, they almost have to up and change. So we’ve got to spend less time in there.”

Obviously having Mike Green (groin) in the lineup would help with that transition, but new assistant coach Jim Johnson preaches aggressive play out of defensemen throughout the lineup. That means the puck flying up ice.

“I think in order to create offense at this level you’ve got to get the defense up in the play,” Johnson said. “I’m a guy that really believes you’ve got to play a 200-foot game and it’s a speed game today, and it’s not only your forecheck speed, it’s your backcheck speed, it’s your skating speed, it’s your transition speed and it’s your intellectual speed. I think if you can play a speed game, you can have success.”

Speed is nice, but at the end of the day, the Caps need goals. As Tomas Vokoun said Thursday night, “It’s tough to win with one goal.”

But players are confident that with more work, the offense will come from good defense — and turnovers.

“We are going to create a ton. … Once, I think, everybody gets used to that, we’re going to get a lot of odd-man rushes, especially against high-risk teams,” defenseman Karl Alzner said. “It’s going to take a little bit of time. It’s not last year where we switched our whole system and it seemed to work for us right away. It takes a little bit of practice.”



Capitals recognize offense is lagging

By Stephen Whyno

The Washington Times


Two shots in the third period Thursday night for the Washington Capitals in a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. None in the final five minutes of a one-goal game.

That’s not a recipe for success — and the Caps know it.

“We didn’t get enough shots again. It was a tight game again; we just didn’t get the goals,” defenseman Dennis Wideman said. “We’re not getting shots through when we get the opportunity.”

New coach Dale Hunter likes shots.

“You get more rubber at the net, the better things happen,” he said Thursday.

The problem? The Caps have been outshot 65-36 in the first two games under Hunter.

“We just weren’t getting pucks through,” defenseman John Erskine said Thursday night. “We’ve got to get pucks through and get to the net.”

Hunter said he’s more worried about scoring chances than quantity of shots, but even that has been lacking. Players talked about the need to put quality pucks on net — and then crash the net.

“I think when you get the cycle, you have to go to the net. It’s just a period of time now. Goals go in; it’s going to come,” captain Alex Ovechkin said. “It’s not going to be like we’re going to score every game one goal. It’s never going to happen to this team. When we cycle it, one guy have to go to the net. We have to get used to it.”

Either that, or get used to getting outshot night after night. But that’s not something the Caps want to think about; they’d rather figure out how to generate more chances.

“We just score one goal each game, so we’ve got to find out how to create some offense too and score some goals,” center Nicklas Backstrom said.

Schultz gets physical

Big defenseman Jeff Schultz has been maligned for not using size to his advantage by being physical enough against opponents. But Thursday night, he came out hitting like the rest of his Caps teammates, a couple times leveling guys in front.

He said that was a product of playing the rival Penguins but really seemed to enjoy the extra aggressiveness around the crease.

“I think it’s just the way the game was last night — there was a lot of loose pucks and rebounds. The best way to kind of eliminate chances is knocking guys over,” Schultz said. “If you can’t take their stick away, you try and knock them over. It was a real physical game, a playoff-type game. It was fun to be out there.”

Hamrlik has lower-body injury

Roman Hamrlik was considered a healthy scratch before Thursday’s game, but the 37-year-old defenseman was not on the ice for Friday’s practice and Hunter revealed that Hamrlik was bothered by a lower-body injury.

“He’s just day-to-day. It’s nothing serious,” Hunter said. “Just give him a day off today and we’ll see about it.”

Hunter said he wasn’t sure if Hamrlik would play Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators or even take part in the morning skate.


598138 Winnipeg Jets

Jets come to Pavelec's defence

By: Adam Wazny

Posted: 12/2/2011 1:00 AM

Jet forward Tim Stapleton tries to push Coyotes forward Kyle Turris away after a sprawling save by goaltender Ondrej Pavelec.

Enlarge Image

Jet forward Tim Stapleton tries to push Coyotes forward Kyle Turris away after a sprawling save by goaltender Ondrej Pavelec.

Looking quite rested, Ondrej Pavelec said he didn't feel like he turned in a 33-save night.

That's what the scoreboard read as the final horn sounded on the Winnipeg Jets 1-0 shutout win over the Phoenix Coyotes at MTS Centre Thursday night, though, as the 24-year-old stopped all 33 pucks directed at him for his second shutout of the season and his first win in four tries.

"They had a lot of shots from outside," the Jets goaltender told reporters after the game. "I didn't feel like they had 33 shots. As soon as they crossed the red-line they threw the puck on me. The guys did a great job to allow me to see the puck. Outstanding effort... team effort."

That showing Pavelec gushed about was the answer the Jets were looking for following a disappointing 6-4 loss to Ottawa earlier in the week.

In that Tuesday affair, the Winnipeg defence was a permeable membrane, allowing the opposition to walk in and take their best crack at Pavelec both on the power play and at even strength.

There was none of that loose defensive play against the Coyotes. Yes, the Jets defence did allow 33 shots on goal but only a handful of those were legitimate scoring chances on the Winnipeg cage.

Pavelec said he was hoping to get the start Thursday.

"It's always important after you don't play well, especially me," offered Pavelec, who made an early save on forward Kyle Turris in the first period that set the tone for the contest. "I didn't play well in the Ottawa game and it was great that I had a chance to play again."

The Senators game notwithstanding, Pavelec has been on top of his craft in the last few outings.

The win brings his personal record to 8-9-4 and lowers his goals against average to 3.14 but more importantly, the shutout pushes his save percentage above the 90 per cent mark (.902) for the first time this year.

"It's kind of what we expect from him now," forward Blake Wheeler said. "He's been on quite a roll lately. It doesn't seem like much beats him clean. If he's going to get beat, it's going to be something wacky like a tip or screen."

As mentioned off the top, Pavelec credits the improved play to the team effort in front of him, a point that's not lost on head coach Claude Noel.

What really impressed the coach was the way his defence remained patient throughout the entire contest; holding a one-goal lead is tough for a team to manage at times, given the way the power plays are handed out in the NHL these days, so staying cool with the puck and not taking any unnecessary chances takes a certain discipline.

Though they didn't blow the Coyotes out scoring-wise, Noel was pleased with Winnipeg's overall defensive effort.

"We've lacked is consistency and we've had (bad) spurts in our game," the coach added. "Tonight, we didn't have those spurts.

"As far as an overall 60-minute game, I think this is one of the better games we played. I thought we defended well... we played the game that was in front of us."

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED: 12.03.2011


Jets 'D' dominates

Coyotes denied at every turn in Winnipeg win

By: Ed Tait

Say this about your Winnipeg Jets: they've got more layers than an onion, more personalities than Sybil and, depending on the night, can either thrill with their seemingly endless potential or have fans cursing their frightening inconsistencies.

So, place Thursday night's 1-0 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes in front of 15,004 at MTS Centre -- old Jets vs. new Jets -- in the 'endless potential' category.

Yes, fresh from a two-game losing streak in which they surrendered 10 goals and recklessly protected a lead, any lead, the Jets -- backed by another stellar effort from netminder Ondrej Pavelec -- served up one of their best defensive efforts of the season.

As a result, the club is now 10-11-4, tied with Tampa and within one point of Washington in the tightening Southeast Division.

"That was huge," said Jets winger Blake Wheeler. "We've kind of learned that the two biggest things when you have a lead in the third period are: 1. make them come 200 feet at you and get the puck in deep and 2. stay out of the penalty box. And when we do those two things you can see they didn't get many chances in the third period.

"It's a big win and obviously with all the sentimental stuff with the crowd it's great to see the old Jets come back here and the new Jets take care of them."

To no one's surprise, the Coyotes -- the 'old Jets' -- were booed from the opening faceoff to the final horn. And captain Shane Doan, the loyal foot soldier, heard his share, too. In fact, during a brief stoppage in the first period Doan -- who began his career with the Jets -- drew a standing ovation from the crowd when the PA announcer asked for fans to salute his career in the NHL.

And then the booing lustily resumed immediately after.

The Jets got the game's only goal when centre Bryan Little fed Evander Kane on a two-on-one, and then deftly gathered up the rebound after Kane clanged one off the post and deposited it behind Coyotes' netminder Mike Smith. And while there were some scrambly moments as the Jets protected the slim advantage, they did limit Phoenix -- fresh from a 4-1 win over Chicago, winners of two straight and sporting one of the best road records in the West -- to just six shots in the third period.

All this, it should be pointed out, without Nik Antropov and Eric Fehr and with defencemen Tobias Enstrom, Ron Hainsey, Randy Jones and Derek Meech still in sick bay.

"I think we traded a couple more chances than we would have liked to with that team, but Pavelec shut the door for us and played great," said Little, who since scoring his first of the season now has seven goals and 11 points in last 11 games. "That's something we've been trying to work on lately; finishing teams off and having good third periods and we did exactly that tonight. If we can play like this every night at home it would be great."

True that.

The Jets were 0-for-3 on the power-play but, it's worth noting, took only two penalties all night in a much more disciplined effort.

"That's a big thing we've been struggling on; staying out of the penalty box," said Dustin Byfuglien. "We did a great job on that. We can take a lot of good things out of this, but we can't be satisfied. There's a lot of work to be done."



HIGHLIGHT REEL Jets 1 / Coyotes 0

By: Staff Writer

Big picture

The current version of the Jets beats the old version of the Jets in the very city the original Jets used to used to toil in. An exorcism? A hockey cleansing? Much ado about nothing? We'll leave that up to you to decide. Somewhere down the road here, the history of the old club won't matter anymore and the old Jets will be just another game on the schedule. It might take a few years, people, but it will happen.

Little picture

The Jets (10-11-4) snapped a two-game losing streak and start the month of December off on the right foot. After a disappointing loss to Ottawa Tuesday and with 11 of the next 13 games at home, Winnipeg needed to get on the winning track and take advantage of the schedule.

Game-breaker

Winnipeg centre Bryan Little scored the only goal of the game, when he corralled a loose rebound at the side of the Coyotes net and tucked it in the empty cage in the first period. It was Little's seventh goal of the season and all Winnipeg needed to pick up its sixth home victory.



Jets likely to play in Central time zone

Hawks, Wild, Blues potential division foes

By: Gary Lawless

Two options have moved to the forefront as the NHL prepares to set a course for league realignment and both include the Winnipeg Jets playing in a Central time zone grouping.

The NHL's board of governors will meet in Pebble Beach beginning Monday and concluding Tuesday with realignment the No. 1 topic on the agenda.

The governors will determine the framework of realignment Monday afternoon and then thrash out the details on Tuesday.

A vote and resolution is expected before they disperse. It should be noted that no Plan B has been put in place in case the Phoenix Coyotes eventually relocate.

If the Coyotes can't be sold and kept in Arizona, but are relocated, they would retain their current divisional slot and be forced to reside there until the governors saw fit to make another change.

The league is determined to get realignment for next season off its plate and unless there's a snag, Jets fans will know their team's future by supper Tuesday.

The two courses of action the league will focus on are very different and could include a new playoff format.

Option A would see the league remain divided into six divisions with a simple swap of the Jets into the Western Conference's Central Division and another team, likely the Detroit Red Wings or Columbus Blue Jackets, moving into the Eastern Conference.

Don't expect multiple moves, as each team's agenda is vastly different and based solely on what's best for the individual club. The possibilities are endless and it's understood that if the current format is to remain in place there will be very little movement.

Option B is the more interesting and would see the league divided into four new conferences, two with eight teams and two with seven teams.

The conferences would be geographically constructed and the Jets would join, let's call it the Central Conference, a grouping with the Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars and then either the Nashville Predators, Blue Jackets or Wings.

This format would also include a change in the playoffs with the top four teams in each conference qualifying for the post-season and then playing off against each other until a conference champion is determined.

The four conference champs would then meet in the semifinals.

The Jets will be happy in a division with other central time zone clubs and like the idea of developing rivalries with both the Blackhawks and Wild.



Kane never satisfied

Jet's off-season sniping pays off

By KEN WIEBE, QMI Agency

WINNIPEG - Evander Kane is quick to guard against complacency.

While the Winnipeg Jets left-winger is thrilled to be riding a streak that’s produced seven goals and 10 points over the past eight games to take over the team scoring lead, he’s not about to let up in his quest to improve.

“The first few games wasn’t how I wanted to start, but I wanted to continue to work hard and battle through it and I’ve been on a pretty good pace over the last 10 or so games,” said Kane, who has 12 goals and 19 points in 24 games this season. “I don’t know if a whole lot has changed, I’m just executing and doing what I want to do a little bit better. I want to continue to get better, grow. Coming into the year, I wanted to be more consistent and so far, I’ve done that, for the most part. With this being my third year, it’s a big year for me and I wanted to come in here and make a statement and continue to make a statement.

“I definitely want more and I’m not satisfied with where I am right now. Being the player that I am, I want to be better, produce more and be consistent throughout the entire season. I’ve always been confident, it’s more being comfortable on the ice and that (confidence) can be a big part to you tapping into what you can do on the ice and bringing those skills to the forefront.”

The Jets continue a five-game homestand on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils and are looking to build on a 1-0 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes Thursday.

“We’re getting better and last game was a clear definition of being able to close a game out 1-0 and proving to ourselves that we’re able to do that,” said Kane, now in his third NHL season after the Atlanta Thrashers selected

When he’s moving his feet and taking the body like he’s been of late, Kane has been a handful for opponents trying to slow him down.

Coming into the campaign, Kane let it be known he planned to produce more than the career-high 19 goals and 43 points he managed in 73 games last season.

One of the things Kane worked on extensively during the off-season was his shot and he did it the old-fashioned way.

“Line ‘em up and shoot them. I got the Shooter Tutor out,” said Kane, who has made more than one goalie look like a Shooter Tutor this season. “It’s easy to score on a Shooter Tutor, it’s all about picking corners. If you hit it nine times out of 10, the percentages are pretty good. If you’re hitting it one out of 10, you might need to work on hitting the corners a little better.

“I’m getting bigger and stronger and that helps with your shot as well.”

Kane seems to be flourishing since moving to a line with Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler.

“He’s so fast and big,” Little said. “If he takes it to the net or makes a move, you almost have to take him down. He’s great at drawing penalties and getting scoring chances off the rush.”

“He’s playing unbelievable, it’s the best I’ve seen him,” added Jets goalie Chris Mason. “It’s night and day. From the beginning of the season — and even from last season — he’s grown so much. He has a better understanding of the game and he’s just so powerful. He’s getting his shot off a little quicker and he’s really ripping it right now.”

Mason isn’t the only one who’s seeing the growth.

“What I seem to see a little bit more is maturity in his game and an acceptance of what he has to do to become the player he sees himself being,” Jets head coach Claude Noel said. “He sees himself as a power forward that can finish and I think he can be that player. He’s got a little ways to go, but he’s taking some great strides and great steps.

“He’s been tremendous in doing the things I’ve talked to him briefly about. He’s really repaired a lot of the things on his own. I see consistency both

offensively and defensively and that’s what really helps because now I’m getting to the point where I trust him in our zone and I can put him out at the end of the game.”

Winnipeg Sun LOADED: 12.03.2011


Jets Snapshots: Boos for Doan? Classy

By KIRK PENTON, QMI Agency

WINNIPEG - So they booed Shane Doan. And Adrian Aucoin. And Mikkel Boedker. And Oliver Ekman-Larsson. And everyone wearing a Phoenix Coyotes jersey.

Classy, Winnipeg.

Doan got the extra loud jeers, because he had the gall to say last spring that he didn’t want to leave his home for the last 15 years. And he was a former Jet!

When they showed Doan on the video scoreboard at the first commercial break and the public address announcer noted his existence, the crowd cheered, Doan smiled, and then the audience rose to its feet.

Then they went back to booing him and his teammates every time he touched the puck.

The guy didn’t want to leave Phoenix because it was home for him and his family. Why can’t people understand that? I’m sure if you were told you were being transferred to Iqaluit you’d be all over it. No offence to Iqaluit.

The cheer for him was nice, even if it was prompted. He just didn’t have to be booed the rest of the night. And don’t say it was because he was from the visiting team, because other visiting teams don’t hear it like Doan had to hear it on Thursday night.

———

Bryan Little opened the scoring and has seven goals this season. Are they giving him credit for two every time he scores one? I know my math is off on that one, but you get my point … There were a few signs directed at Doan on Thursday night. One said, “Bon Voyage, Doan.” Then it had the Coyotes logo with an arrow pointing to the Quebec Nordiques symbol. On the back it had Kansas crossed out, Vegas crossed out, and then it said “Les Coyotes des Quebec.” … Another sign: “Hey Phoenix, Hope You Enjoy Quebec.” … I hope Kyle Wellwood has insured his hands, which have to be some of the softest in the world. He took the puck in the first period and flipped it up nicely to Andrew Ladd, creating a glorious scoring opportunity. Then in the second period he did the same thing for Tanner Glass, who got in all alone on Mike Smith but couldn’t bury it … Jets head coach Claude Noel went back to Mark Stuart and Zach Bogosian as his top defence pairing, and it appeared Dustin Byfuglien was in the dog house for the first two periods. He had just 13:30 of ice time in the opening 40 minutes, but he was out there for more than 10 in the third, including the final minute with the Phoenix net pulled … Byfuglien turned the puck over to Ray Whitney behind the Jets net in the second period, and after Ondrej Pavelec had to bail him out again, Byfuglien looked at his new partner, Johnny Oduya, like it was his fault.

———

Kyle Turris made his debut for the Coyotes after holding out for the first two months of the season. The best tweet from last week after he settled on a new contract came from Paul Bissonnette: “As punishment for Kyle Turris holding out he has to play on my line for a few days.” Now that’s funny. Unfortunately for Biz Nasty, he was a healthy scratch on Thursday night … They were showing some of the best goals this season, and Matt Duchene’s between-the-legs goal against Pittsburgh drew the following call from the play-by-play man: “An absolute sick goal by Matt Duchene!” Wasn’t that Foster Hewitt’s trademark call? … Going into the game, Byfuglien was second in the NHL in shots on goal with 97. He was 411th in shooting percentage at 5.2% … Tim Stapleton had a solid night for the Jets. He had one shift in the second period that was particularly impressive. He roared down the right side, and then he avoided a pair of hits along the boards and still held on to the puck.

———

The fans stopped booing Doan long enough to chant “Go Jets Go!” in the second period. That was more like it … The Jets crowd might soon have a reputation similar to that of a Philadelphia sporting audience. It relentlessly booed the guy who screwed up the shell game on the scoreboard during a

second-period break in the action … Props to the line of Evander Kane, Little and Blake Wheeler. They were pretty darn good on Thursday night, generating lots of scoring chances … Cotton Eye Joe was released on Aug. 12, 1994. We can all stop playing it any time now … They had to squeegee the ice 1:22 into the third period. Seriously, how hard is it to freeze ice in Winnipeg in December? … The crowd also booed the winner of the Smooch Cam, and rightly so. The wrong couple won … Pavelec was dynamite. We said in Thursday’s paper that he needed to be better and, boy, was he ever … Derek Morris sent the puck to the slot, and it bounced off Byfuglien and Oduya before sliding through the crease and just past the post with 1:21 to go. The hockey gods were with the Jets on this night. Maybe it was a little bit of payback for 15 years ago.



Kane made from solid stock

By KEN WIEBE, QMI Agency

WINNIPEG - Given his genetics, it’s no surprise Evander Kane became a professional athlete.

With a mother who was a professional volleyball player and a father who was an amateur boxer and hockey player, Kane came to his athletic endeavours naturally.

“Right from when me and my (two) sisters were born, we were always in sports and doing things — and they were the one’s who taught us,” Kane said during a moment of reflection on Friday after the Winnipeg Jets skated at MTS IcePlex. “My dad is the one who taught me to play hockey and basically made me the player I am. It was good to be able to have those people around and have that family support and people who know what they’re talking about.”

Kane remembers one particular piece of advice very clearly.

“My dad always said, you don’t have to be the smartest player but if you have a great shot and can skate — I’m not saying I’m not smart — but if you have a great shot and you can skate, or one or the other somebody is going to want you,” he explained. “Look at Brett Hull, not the best skater in the world, but nobody had a better shot.”

Kane worked hard at both skating and shooting and he’s never been afraid of having the puck on his stick when the game is on the line.

“In terms of wanting the pressure and wanting to be counted on to score, I’ve always wanted that, ever since I was a Pee Wee hockey player,” he said. “I like having the puck on my stick and I always feel comfortable when I have an opportunity to score because I’m confident in myself.”


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ESPN / Caps fade when pressure rises vs. Penguins

By Scott Burnside

WASHINGTON -- After taking in the first two games of the Dale Hunter era, both ending in 2-1 losses following Thursday's defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins, here are a few observations:

Confidence: Whatever happened to the Capitals' swagger?

The Caps insisted after Thursday's loss that their confidence remains high in spite of losing four straight and having won just two of their past 10 games. OK.

But this is a team that seems to sag whenever confronted with even the least little bit of adversity.

After giving up what would turn out to be the winning goal before the third period was three minutes old – a quick rising shot by Chris Kunitz that eluded netminder Tomas Vokoun – the Capitals managed just two shots on goal. Two.

The team's best chance to score came when 20-year-old Cody Eakin fanned on a shot in the slot. With all due respect to Eakin, it shouldn't be on his shoulders to get the Caps on track.

Back in the day, the Kunitz goal would have been a gnat buzzing in an elephant's ear for the high-octane Capitals. Not anymore.

The Caps were outshot 35-17 on the night and have been outshot in four straight games.

"It's tough to win with one goal," offered Vokoun, who made a number of outstanding saves to keep the game close.

Chris Kunitz scored the game-winning goal in the third period, a quick rising shot that eluded Caps netminder Tomas Vokoun.

"It's definitely not easy when things are not going well and we're not getting, obviously we're not getting that pressure in their zone and we're not scoring."

Forechecking: The Capitals certainly looked a lot better at times on Thursday than they did in Hunter's first game as a head coach, when they were beaten 2-1 by St. Louis. And if there is an early indication how this team is going to be different than they were under Bruce Boudreau, it's in their aggressiveness. That will come as no surprise given the way Hunter played the game. And the Capitals, who boast an impressive array of big, fast forwards, did give the Penguins all they could handle on the forecheck.

Often these stats are more than a little subjective, but the Capitals were credited with 43 hits on the night to just 28 for the Penguins.

Even if there is a hometown bias to the hit-counting, Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma acknowledged the physicality on the forecheck was a new wrinkle from the Hunter-led Caps.

"I know that there's a lot about that team that is scary in terms of the skill that they bring," Bylsma said. "I thought today, especially in the second, they came at us hard and forechecked hard and were tough to handle that way and were very aggressive on the forecheck in getting to the offensive zone and that may be something we hadn't seen."

The big boys: Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin combined for zero points. But both Crosby and Malkin were engaged offensively and generated a handful of terrific scoring chances.

Malkin in particular was impressive, using his size and skill to generate chances in the Washington zone. Is there any doubt that Malkin, whose five-game point streak (four goals, five assists) was broken, has eclipsed Ovechkin as the most dominant Russian player in the NHL?

As for Ovechkin, it was another pedestrian night in a season marked by pedestrian performances, at least in terms of creating offense. Ovechkin was credited with 10 hits, the most of any player in the game, and had 19:22 in ice time.

The Washington captain produced just one shot on goal, and he set up Backstrom for a glorious chance in the second period that seemed to glance off the crossbar. But other than a few big hits, it was another disappointing night for Ovechkin, who has scored just once on home ice this season, has just one goal in his last eight games and, quite frankly, looks a little lost.

"It's just a little bit period of time when we have to find our way to get success back to what we used to be," Ovechkin said. "It's not frustrating, it's just a moment, a period of life.

"We score one goal. We have to score more than one goal to win the game."

Depth: As has been the case for many Caps games this season, the line of Jason Chimera, Brooks Laich and Joel Ward was the best forward unit for Washington. And kudos to Chimera, who collected the only Washington goal, stepping out from the goal line and snapping a wicked backhand past Marc-Andre Fleury that tied the game at 1-1 early in the second period.

Chimera leads the Capitals with 10 goals, matching his goal output for all of last season. That is a good news/bad news situation.

It's good news that the Capitals can rely on someone other than Backstrom, Ovechkin and Alexander Semin to provide scoring. It's bad news, though, in that your depth guys aren't supposed to be leading the team, at least not on a team that has as much talent as this Caps team.

"It can't be down the line. It's got to be now," Chimera said of the need to adapt to their new coach and new systems. "We got to get people stepping up and scoring some goals, doing the little things."

Penguins' lineup: Although Crosby did not register a point for the second time since returning from a concussion, the Penguins' record with him in the lineup is now 4-1-1.

The Penguins were without defensemen Zbynek Michalek and Kris Letang, both of whom remained in Pittsburgh with injuries. Robert Bortuzzo and Simon Despres filled in, with Despres picking up an assist on the game-winner in his first NHL game.

"We were pretty committed to making sure we didn't turn pucks over. Our [defense] did a great job," Crosby said.

"We've got some guys who are new and they did a great job of going in there and taking some hits to make plays, and that's what you have to do."

ESPN LOADED: 12.03.2011

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ESPN / Weekend rumblings: Canucks goalie drama, Ryan trade talks, Brassard's agent angry

By Pierre LeBrun

The goalie drama in Vancouver is unreal.

Most Canucks fans are on the Cory Schneider bandwagon.

The fact is, however, that Canucks management remains steadfastly consistent in their belief that Roberto Luongo is still a great goaltender, no matter what anybody thinks.

"Roberto, for some reason, mostly due to the media, has become a lightning rod for anything that goes wrong with our team," Canucks GM Mike Gillis told ESPN.com on Thursday. "We've always said that it's unfair. It's a team sport. One player doesn't dictate. But I think he set the bar so high when he arrived here, they were so hungry to finally have a guy that could actually play well -- an All-Star goalie -- that when he doesn't always meet that standard that's been set every day, some people begin to question him. In our mind, it's really unfair."

Every market is different. In Boston, fans applaud the 1-2 punch in goal the Bruins have in Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask. Of course, Thomas won the Cup, and Luongo didn't. Still, the Canucks feel fortunate to have the depth they have in goal and wonder why that can't be the story.

"If you look around the league, if you don't have a good goalie, you can't win hockey games in this league," Gillis said. "It's that simple. We're lucky to have two of them. Cory is a work in progress, and Roberto is our No. 1 goalie. You can't argue with his body of work and you can't argue with what he's accomplished. We were one game away from winning the Stanley Cup. Hopefully, we'll get back there again and have an opportunity to do things better as an entire group."

Ducks aftermath

Bobby Ryan can rest his mind, at least for now.

Ducks GM Bob Murray told him to relax after the coaching change was made and to ignore all that trade chatter.

Other league sources tell ESPN.com that Murray spent part of Thursday calling back teams that showed interest in Ryan and telling them he was going to quiet down those talks at this point.

The feeling inside the Ducks camp was that they wanted to see how the team responded to the hiring of head coach Bruce Boudreau and hold off on any major player transactions.

But you can be sure that if the season doesn't turn around, those talks could be back on the front burner come the Feb. 27 trade deadline.

I spoke with Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf on Thursday and asked him what his reaction would have been in September when I stopped in Anaheim during my camp tour and told him that two months into the season the Ducks would be near the basement of the standings and Randy Carlyle would be fired as head coach.

"I would have probably laughed at you," Getzlaf told ESPN.com. "Going into the season we were excited and energized. And we started the year that way, we were 4-1 over the first five games and playing well. Then we hit a skid and couldn't get out of it."

Players often feel remorse after a coach is fired, feeling that they could have played better to prevent it, and Getzlaf certainly felt that way.

"More than probably anybody," Getzlaf said. "I think Randy meant a lot to this organization and to us as individuals. He's the only coach I've had in the National Hockey League. He gave me my start and the confidence I've gained over the last seven years. I felt I kind of let him down this year, as well as our group. He probably deserved a better fate. But at the same time, it's the nature of the business and it's a tough business to be in. I know Randy will be working before he knows it."

Getzlaf reached out Thursday morning to Washington Capitals assistant coach Dean Evason, who coached him in juniors, to get a heads-up on what Boudreau was all about.

"He brings some excitement," Getzlaf said of Boudreau. "And he brings a different voice, which I think was all this was really about, was getting a different voice there bringing a different message. Now it's up to the group to respond."

Columbus controversy

Veteran agent Allan Walsh does things a bit differently than his colleagues in the business. For one thing, he's a big presence on Twitter. And secondly, he is not afraid to go public when he's angered by the way one of his clients is treated.

It rubs some GMs the wrong way, of course.

He went public a few years ago when his client, Jaroslav Halak, wasn't getting enough starts, in his opinion, behind Carey Price. He went public last season when he hammered Minnesota Wild head coach Todd Richards for not playing Martin Havlat enough.

And on Thursday, Walsh was it again when he released a statement (to ESPN.com, among other outlets) expressing his frustration with Columbus head coach Scott Arniel over the handling of Walsh's client, forward Derick Brassard, who was a healthy scratch seven of his past 10 games entering the weekend.

"While I have tremendous respect for [GM] Scott Howson and the rest of Columbus' management team, the situation regarding Derick Brassard has become untenable," Walsh wrote. "This coach has a history of burying players and using them as scapegoats to mask his own lack of success on the ice. Derick has been singled out, almost from the very beginning of the season to be the fall guy in case things don't go well. The Columbus organization cares about Derick and has been good to him, but at some point enough is enough."

The Jackets produced a statement from Howson about an hour later.

"Scott has my full support with respect to his decisions on who plays and the handling of our hockey team," Howson said. "We all want Derick to play better and be the player we know he can be. The only person who will impact Derick's playing time is Derick himself."

Howson had gotten several calls this season from other clubs interested in Brassard but has been reluctant to give him away given his age (24) and upside. We'll see whether Walsh's public intervention pushes a trade. It certainly got Havlat out of Minnesota.

Therrien waits

Three coaching changes in the NHL this past week and you can bet Michel Therrien was looking at his cellphone, hoping it would buzz.

"Yeah, for sure. I wish the phone would have rung, but that's the way the business goes," Therrien told ESPN.com Thursday.

Therrien deserves another NHL shot. He was two wins away from a Stanley Cup championship with a young Penguins squad in June 2008 yet hasn't got a sniff since his firing the following season.

He's doing TV work for French-language sports network RDS in Montreal and says he enjoys that. But he yearns for another chance behind an NHL bench.

"It's a luxury to coach in the NHL," Therrien said. "The more you're out, the more you realize it."

He had that same feeling between his NHL jobs in Montreal and Pittsburgh, coaching in the AHL before getting brought in to coach the young Penguins.

"I had a big challenge with those young kids and we were close to winning the Stanley Cup with a really young team," Therrien said. "But I'm still hoping, I'm watching a lot of games and preparing and we'll see where things go from there."

Hold onto your gloves

I was wondering the other day if it was only my imagination or if fighting was down in the NHL this season.

Turns out it wasn't my imagination at all.

Through the month of November, fighting was down 30 percent from the same point last season. There were 308 fighting majors through 357 games played (through Nov. 30), down from 441 through the same number of games last season. It's also down from 444 fighting majors through 357

games in 2009-10 and down from the 483 fighting majors recorded through the same time period in 2008-09.

It's the second-lowest tally since the lockout. There were only 274 fighting majors through the same number of games in 2005-06, right after the lockout, but that number grew to 319 through the same number of games in 2006-07 and 371 in 2007-08.

So, why the downturn?

For one thing, there appear to be fewer traditional enforcers dressed from night to night. Take Toronto, for example. Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke may like his truculence, but the fact is his team has been less truculent most nights this season, with tough guys Colton Orr (four games) and Jay Rosehill (12 games) playing sparingly. Head coach Ron Wilson has said repeatedly this season he wants his fastest possible lineup out there. That's been the trend on many teams. Tough guy D.J. King in Washington has played just one game. And the list goes on for several teams.

Long-term trend or just a blip this season? My guess is long-term trend.

Fire the coach

I got a call from an NHL head coach Thursday -- who shall remain anonymous as per his request -- who passed on an interesting theory.

By his count, there had been 17 in-season coaching changes over the past four seasons (including this season as the fourth year), which TSN research guru Kevin Gibson confirmed for me.

"And I ask you, how many times did the team make a trade before they fired the coach?," the coach pondered to ESPN.com. "Not too often. It's hard to make trades in this system. So I wonder if this system doesn't lend itself to firing more coaches as some form of cure-all when teams are struggling? Because the GM feels he has to do something. There's pressure on him to do something."

Certainly in the case of Carolina and Anaheim, both clubs tried in vain to make a trade before ultimately firing their coaches this past week. The Hurricanes have tried for nearly a month to move Tomas Kaberle. The Ducks have been trying for weeks to make some form of trade, no matter how minor, but couldn't find a fit. So in the end, both clubs found the answer that was left was to fire the coach.

ESPN LOADED: 12.03.2011

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FOXSports.com / NHL Notes: Boudreau quickly back to work

Jon Rosen

Bruce Boudreau isn't one to play hookey from work. There aren't going to be many mornings lounging around the house reading the morning comics while watching The Price Is Right in sweatpants.

"My wife wouldn't have liked that very much. No, I was looking for something to do," Boudreau said. "It's always important for me, anyway, to get out. I can't lie around and do anything. I was going to start watching games somewhere, going somewhere, and I think at that time I was making plans to go to Toronto and do some work with TSN or something. But this was much better."

While we're intrigued by potential Boudreau broadcasting work, he found a much better fit when he agreed to become the eighth head coach of the Anaheim Ducks, replacing a friend in Randy Carlyle who was fired after Wednesday's 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

Boudreau ran an up-tempo, competitive practice at Anaheim's practice rink on Thursday, which at the very thought makes you just shake your head in amazement at how quickly everything had developed. Anaheim GM Bob Murray "immediately" asked for and received permission from Washington GM George McPhee to speak with Boudreau, setting the events in motion.

"I sat there on Tuesday and if I didn't believe that this was a team that had the possibilities of making something special, I think I would have sat down and waited," Boudreau said. "But I don't think opportunities like this come around every day with the talent that we have here. So I talked to my wife about it, and I said, 'I think we should jump at this.' I know it's only been a day, basically, since I got let go, but it was something that I thought was a chance that I wouldn't get again. So I jumped at it and got in the plane yesterday and here I am. So it's a new start. I'm looking forward to it. I can't wait to play. Let's get going."

Carlyle, who was the third-longest-tenured NHL coach prior to his dismissal, won the 2007 Stanley Cup and exits as the winningest coach in Ducks history and someone recalled admirably by his friend in Murray and owners Henry and Susan Samueli.

Boudreau's hiring likely settles any discussions over Bobby Ryan's future with the club. With Twitter seemingly acting as a Bobby Ryan Rumor Generator Wednesday evening, he now is able to center his focus on hockey without dealing with the distraction of a potential imminent trade.

"It's nice to step away from it a little bit and just get ready to play hockey under a new coach and a new regime, and hopefully turn some of the season around, because there's still time," Ryan said.

Murray tabled Ryan trade talks but remains open to player movement if presented with the right opportunity.

"When you're struggling, and in a funk like we were, you get lots of phone calls," Murray said. "You always get phone calls. Sometimes you listen and sometimes you don't. And I'm not going to lie – I was listening. But don't think for one second the calls were just on Bobby. That was a popular one, but don't think it was just him. I'm hoping everything settles down right now. I think it will. But again, I've said this – if you're ever offered something that makes your organization better – I don't care who the player is – it makes your team better, you better damn well look at it."

Questioned about his relationship with Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin, Boudreau appeared eager to move on.

"I think a lot of that was blown out," Boudreau said. "I got along really well with both of those guys, and I think I've said that for the last week that there was never a problem with either one of them. But we all tend to want to make something out of nothing, and we did. So there's really no story there."

Saying that he would skate Ryan together with usual linemates Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry for their first shift and "beyond that, we'll have to see how they do," Boudreau also outlined the temperament and confidence he's looking to build at Honda Center.

"I want them to be very positive and I want to be aggressive. I want them to play the way they're capable of playing, and with energy and thinking that they're going to be successful the way they should be successful," Boudreau said. "This was a team that before the season started, if you read a lot of the clippings that they said would really contend for the Pacific Division crown, and I think they're very capable of doing it. I want them to believe in themselves. That's the message for today: believe in themselves."

HUNTER OR HUNTED?

Both men who became NHL head coaches for the first time earlier this week are still looking for their first win with their new clubs.

Dale Hunter fell to 0-2 with the Washington Capitals after a 2-1 defeat to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday dropped the club to 3-9-1 in its last 13 outings. The Capitals have been outshot 65-36 under Hunter prior to this weekend's action, though there was some good energy and competition in Thursday's loss after a poor outing against St. Louis.

"It was something new for us. It's new system," Alex Ovechkin said to Capitals Insider. "I think when you get the cycle you have to go to the net — right now it's just a period of time."

They'll face Ottawa at home on Saturday as Hunter, who recorded 1,020 points in 3,565 games over 20 seasons with Quebec, Washington and Colorado, will look to right the plummeting Caps, who began 7-0 but have fallen to 10th place in the Eastern Conference.

Kirk Muller is 0-2 after replacing Paul Maurice with the Carolina Hurricanes, who are 3-11-1 in their last 15 games. After Thursday's 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers, he spent an extra few minutes speaking with his team and getting his message through.

"I said, 'Hey, no one said this thing is going to change overnight,'" Muller said. "We've got to do baby steps."

The Hurricanes led midway through the second period in Thursday's loss and showed some resiliency in their ability to battle from behind, but just weren't able to earn a point against one of the hottest teams in the league.

Still, Muller's message is starting to seep in.

"It's tough but we've got to keep working," Skinner said. "We have to keep plugging away here. There's some stuff we need to work on but we have to focus on the positives."

MONTREAL MUSINGS

You never want to lose to a team in the middle of an extended losing streak, but that's what happened to the Montreal Canadiens as they fell in a lethargic performance in Anaheim on Wednesday that left some wondering whether they had bused out to California for their three-game trip.

"We haven't been quite as good as we've liked to this year, so it's a big trip for us to try and get three good games in and play the way we want and try and string a few together here," Michael Cammalleri said prior to Wednesday's game. The result, so far? Two games, one point.

Thursday night in San Jose they surrendered three one-goal leads and allowed a game-tying Ryane Clowe goal with 1:26 remaining before falling in a six-round shootout. On Saturday afternoon, they'll battle for a win in the finale of their three-game California trip when they face Los Angeles in an early afternoon matinee at STAPLES Center.

With Max Pacioretty suspended for three games due to his high hit on Kris Letang last Saturday night, Montreal recalled the 18th overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft – and a former economics major at Harvard – Louis LeBlanc, who issued three hits in a scoreless debut Wednesday in Anaheim. The Pointe-Claire, Quebec, native will always remember Wednesday as the night he lined up against Saku Koivu in his NHL debut.

"He was my idol, so it was something big for me playing against him tonight," LeBlanc said to HabsTV.

There have been some good developments by the 103rd edition of the Montreal Canadiens, namely on defense, penalty killing and goaltending -- attributes that often add up to consistent success on the road.

"The thing about the penalty kill is not so much what the overall percentage is, but if in a key situation and you have to kill a penalty, you're able to kill that penalty," defenseman Josh Gorges said. If it's a 3-3 game and you take a penalty with five minutes left to go, if your percentage is 90 percent or 70 percent, that doesn't matter. It's if you kill that penalty, right then and there.

That's what matters to us, and I think as penalty killers, that's what we take most pride in."

Carey Price, who boasts two shutouts, a 2.29 GAA and .917 save percentage entering the weekend's play has provided improved play in net and is poised to become one of the Eastern Conference's most talented young goaltenders after bouts of inconsistency early in his NHL career.

"He's been good. He's our favorite non-issue," Cammalleri said.

ALL STAR HARDY HAR HARR

Surely the impartial observers voting to select players to the NHL All-Star Game got it right when they voted, en masse, for Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Of the top six vote-getters at forward, only one – Sidney Crosby – doesn't play for Toronto or Ottawa.

On defense, Senators third-year skater and career minus-38 Erik Karlsson (who is vastly improved, to be fair) has 43,000 more votes than the next highest vote-getter, Leafs defender Dion Phaenuf. Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom, ranked fifth, is the only member of the six highest vote-getters that plays in the Western Conference.

In goal, Toronto goaltender James Reimer, who has played six games this year and has been injured since Oct. 22, ranks in third place, well within striking distance of leading goaltender Tim Thomas. He's also seven spots ahead of Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick, who leads the league with four shutouts and posts a sub-two GAA.

The top three vote-getters at forward, the top two defensemen and the top goalie will automatically be selected to the Jan. 29 game.

We understand it. The All-Star game is in Ottawa this year, the fans are geared up and voting for their own, and there are probably a couple deserving Senators who have performed well for a team that's overachieving somewhat. Deserving players will still be added by the coaching staffs.

But there are probably a dozen other buildings that are sold out nightly around the league that could just as easily be voting their own players into the game and by spreading the word for fans to do so online. There were some Flyers, Blackhawks and Red Wings mixed in there, but where was the West Coast representation? Where were all the Vancouver Canucks? Daniel and Henrik Sedin were the first players west of the Central Time Zone that were listed, and they were only the 16th and 17th highest vote getters at forward. Fans will vote for Rory Fitzpatrick, but not Joe Thornton? The Minnesota Wild, playing in their State of Hockey and leading the Western Conference with 33 points, can't find one player listed amongst the top 30 forwards, 20 defensemen and 15 goaltenders?

Enough of these questions and shenanigans. Here's an All-Star ballot. Go ahead and vote for the most deserving players, if that's your thing.

GAME OF THE WEEKEND

Saturday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins

Without a regulation loss for over a month and hosting an Original Six matchup against a Toronto squad that boasts the top two scorers in the league in Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul, there should be a tremendous atmosphere at TD Garden on Saturday. Though the Bruins have outscored the Leafs 19-5 in sweeping the first three games of the season series, expect Toronto to give their best effort yet and force this game to be decided late.

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FOXSports.com / Injury-tested Kings make lineup adjustments

Jon Rosen

LOS ANGELES — A new dynamic will be established when the injury-tested Los Angeles Kings take the Staples Center ice early Saturday afternoon against the Montreal Canadiens (12:30 p.m. local / FOX Sports West) as Mike Richards, Willie Mitchell and Trent Hunter will be out of the lineup with Dustin Penner, Davis Drewiske and Brad Richardson stepping in.

Richards, beset by an upper-body injury being reported as a concussion sustained Thursday on a high hit by Florida's Sean Bergenheim that did not warrant any supplemental discipline, was placed on injured reserve Friday. There are apparently no plans yet to move Mitchell to injured reserve after suffering a lower body injury on Thursday's first shift.

"It's going to be a few games," Kings head coach Terry Murray said when asked about the status of Richards and Mitchell.

This moves winger Dustin Brown back to the right side, opposite Simon Gagne, on a line centered by Anze Kopitar. Meanwhile Dustin Penner, just activated from injured reserve, moves to second-line left wing, opposite Justin Williams, on a line centered by Jarret Stoll. Penner had missed nine games with a hand injury, a span in which the team posted a 6-2-1 record, though he had been playing better hockey at the time he went down.

"Penner's ready to go, yes. I'm certain of that, as far as health-wise and skating, he's in the best condition that he's been since he's been an LA King," Murray said. "He's been through three weeks of hard work, and he has poured a lot into it, skating very well, and that's the demands that I've put on him."

In Mitchell's absence, Davis Drewiske will suit up for the second time this season on Saturday and will see time alongside Matt Greene. Looking to keep it simple and fill in a role as a responsible defenseman, Drewiske described the focus he sustained during the game nights he spent upstairs in the press box.

"I think the real battle is mentally staying connected to the game and everything that's going on when you've been out for a while," he said. "You definitely try to watch the game pretty intently, like, intense, and focus on what guys are doing, where the mistakes are, and that's a good way to keep yourself in touch with what's going on."

Murray agreed that no supplemental discipline was warranted on Bergenheim's hit on Richards and commended his players for sticking up for a teammate.

"The support for each other when Richards got hit, I thought that was the way teams are supposed to respond," Murray said. "They're supposed to be there for a teammate in a tough situation, and that was pretty gritty determination. I thought right away their response was correct."

GM Dean Lombardi, in a chat with Rich Hammond, was disappointed by the penalties assessed after Bergenheim's hit that forced the Kings to kill off a four-minute power play after they showed unity in sticking up for a teammate.

"When that scenario ends up in a four-minute power play, I think that's a real problem," Lombardi said to LA Kings Insider. "That's part of the culture of our sport, everything we try to instill, and to have to be subjected to a four-minute penalty kill on that basis, I really struggle with that. And that's a bigger issue, as to the culture of our game, and not specifically.''

Trent Hunter will be replaced by Brad Richardson, who will skate opposite Kevin Westgarth on a line centered by Andrei Loktionov. Jonathan Bernier is expected to start in net against his hometown Montreal Canadiens.

Former Manchester Monarchs head coach Bruce Boudreau took over in Anaheim as the club's after Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle was fired by the club Wednesday night.

A then 20-year-old Dustin Brown played for Boudreau in Manchester during the lockout year of 2004-05, recording 29 goals and 74 points in 75 games for a team that won 51 of 80 games, but fell in six games in the first round of the playoffs to the Providence Bruins.

"He was a player's coach. You wanted to play for him," Brown said of Boudreau. "We had a good team with the lockout that year, and we got off to, like, a ridiculous start. I think we were 25-1 to start the year. Unfortunately, we got beat in six games in the first round, but it was a good learning experience for me, and a chance for me to play a lot of minutes at a pro level.

"He's a pretty positive guy, for the most part. Like I said, he's one of those coaches that you want to play for, at least that year for me. I only played one year for him. He's pretty positive and tries to stay upbeat."

Along with George Parros, Dave Steckel and Mathieu Garon, one of Brown's teammates in Manchester that year was Michael Cammalleri, who finished second in the league with 109 points (46-63-109) in 79 games. Cammalleri will be part of a Canadiens squad that enters Staples Center on Saturday looking for its first win on a three-game California road trip. The Canadiens fell 4-1 in Anaheim on Wednesday, and were unable to hold three one-goal leads in a 4-3 shootout loss to San Jose on Thursday.

Cammalleri, 29, recorded 205 points in 283 games over parts of five seasons with Los Angeles from 2002-08, but has seen his production drop in each of the last two seasons. With 13 points (6-7-13) in 21 games for Montreal thus far, he is a touch off his career averages, but still presents a good challenge for the Kings. Prepare to see plenty of him in the lineup with Max Pacioretty serving the final game of his three-game suspension for a high hit on Pittsburgh's Kris Letang last weekend.

"He's a good shooter, so you just have to be aware of where he is on the ice," Brown said of Cammalleri. "With a guy like Cammy, it's about limiting his Grade-A scoring chances. You give him two or three in a game, he's going to find a way to score a goal. You've just got to make him really grind it out and work for his chances, and like I said, you can't give him a Grade-A scoring chance. If he's going to score a goal, it's going to have to be because he beat you one-on-one or makes a hard play."

Before preparing to watch video of the Canadiens Friday afternoon, Murray acknowledged the challenge the Kings will face against a Montreal squad that has proven difficult to play against for Los Angeles. The Kings are 27-87-20 all time against their 1993 Stanley Cup Finals dance partners and haven't won since March 8, 2003, a game in which Jamie Storr stopped 27 of 28 while Eric Belanger and Ryan Flinn provided the goals.

"There's a great history with that organization," Murray said. "They're always going to come and compete real hard, play real hard. We'll be ready for that, and we need to be better at our game at the same time."

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NBCSports.com / Always wanted to play in the NHL? Good news — it can still happen

Mike Halford

Dec 2, 2011, 4:00 PM EST

Mike Sielski of the Wall Street Journal has written a great piece on the collective bargaining agreement clause that keeps our hopes and dreams alive: The 24-hour Amateur Tryout Offer.

An obscure provision in the NHL’s labor agreement allows its franchises to replace an injured player on its roster by offering a 24-hour tryout to an amateur player.

NHL teams operate under a salary cap, so if they were to sign a professional player to cover them during an emergency, the money would count against their limit.

This rule allows teams to avoid that inconvenience by hiring a temp, so long as he agrees to play for free.

“It’s kind of a fantasy-hockey thing,” said Jim Nill, assistant general manager of the Detroit Red Wings.

We recently saw the ATO put to use when Minnesota signed 51-year-old embroidery store owner Paul Deutsch to a one-day deal. Deutsch was a stopgap solution after Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom (personal reasons) and AHL callup Matt Hackett (stuck traveling) were thought to be unable to attend that night’s game. Deutsch didn’t end up getting to dress for the game — Hackett made it to the rink after the pregame shoot-around — but his story garnered quite a bit of attention.

So much attention that Sielski did some digging. Turns out there have been 16 players to join the NHL via ATO since the start of the 2007-08 season, according to Stats LLC. The most notable is Detroit’s Justin Abdelkader, who parlayed his one-day deal into a three-year contract (which he signed the next day) though traditionally, the contracts mostly seem to go to goalies.

Goalies like Torrie Jung, who cleaned himself up and became an Edmonton Oiler:

Having just finished morning practice with his junior team on Nov. 21, 2009, Jung—a goaltender—was planning a quiet afternoon of movies and videogames. Instead, his coach called to tell him that Edmonton Oilers’ goalie Nikolai Khabibulin had hurt his back, and the team needed an emergency sub for a home game against Chicago. Jung, then 20, ate a quick lunch, showered, put on his favorite shirt and tie and “did my hair up nice” before hustling over to Rexall Place for the game—a 5-2 Edmonton loss.

“I wanted to make sure I didn’t have bed head or anything,” said Jung, who plays for the minor-league Laredo Bucks. “I didn’t want to look like a bum walking into an NHL rink.”

Ahhh, to be 20 again. The only time you worry about having bed head in the late afternoon.

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NBCSports. The “Patrick Kane at center” experiment is dead

Mike Halford

Dec 2, 2011, 1:15 PM EST

Tonight, the Chicago Blackhawks will host the New York Islanders featuring a more traditional lineup than we’ve seen recently. Patrick Kane will return to his natural right wing spot after playing second-line center for the first two months of the season.

“I think center worked for a little bit,” Kane told ESPN Chicago. “It’s one of those things that is still an option. Sometimes you have to keep things exciting and switch it up.”

While playing Kane at center reaped early rewards (including this amazing spin-o-rama pass to Hossa), it’s fallen on hard times lately. No. 88 has no goals and just three assists in his last six games — not coincidentally, the ‘Hawks are 2-4 over that stretch.

Replacing Kane will be 21-year-old Marcus Kruger, who left Djugardens of the Swedish Elite League late last year to join Chicago for its final seven games of the season (and five of its seven playoff games.) Kane will play on a line with Jonathan Toews and Viktor Stalberg while Kruger will center Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp.

“Kane at center has been a good option for us, but Kruger is playing well,” head coach Joel Quenneville said. “It gives us a different look. We just wanted to try something else. Marcus gives us an option based on his performance.

“[We'll] see how he handles it with the top guys. It’s more of an experiment that way as well.”com /


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NBCSports.com / List of Stanley Cup riot suspects includes one with “Miss Congeniality” on her résumé

Jason Brough

Dec 2, 2011, 7:47 PM EST

Anarchists. Thugs. Criminals. Hooligans. Ruffians. Hoods. Beauty queens.

Yes, Vancouver’s Stanley Cup riot brought together an eclectic collection of individuals. The Province newspaper is reporting that Sophie LaBoissonniere, a 20-year-old beauty-pageant contestant, is among the latest alleged participants in the mob that tore apart the city’s downtown on June 15.

LaBoissonniere – who (you couldn’t make this up) was named Miss Congeniality in one of her pageants – is facing two charges, one for participating in a riot, the other for break and enter.

No truth to the rumor LaBoissonniere twirls a flaming baton through a car window for the talent portion of her pageants.


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Sportsnet.ca / Return on hold

Mike Brophy | December 2, 2011, 8:46 pm

If a player is healthy enough to dress for a game, then he should be healthy enough to play.

So it is a little puzzling that the Toronto Maple Leafs would elect to dress No. 1 stopper James Reimer, who has been out since Oct. 22 with concussion-like symptoms, but not start him against the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins Saturday night.

"We've talked about it, but more than likely it's going to be Gustavsson," said coach Ron Wilson. "Sometimes with goaltenders (coming off injuries), you want him to get back into the game-day routine and backing up is not a bad idea."

Later Wilson added, "We've told Gustavsson he's going to be playing tomorrow."

Sounds more like, "They have kicked the crap out of us in three straight games and we don't won't to do anything that might undermine a successful comeback for Reimer."

The Bruins have out-scored the Leafs 19-5 in three games, so some might understand the Leafs' apparent caution. Never mind that Reimer was 4-0-1 with a 2.58 goals-against average and .912 save percentage in Toronto's first five games. You know, he just might be the answer to breaking the spell the Bruins seem to have over the Leafs.

Reimer was injured when Montreal Canadiens captain Brian Gionta bumped into him, knocking his helmet off. He finished the opening period, but gave way to Gustavsson for the rest of the game. Reimer rejoined the team for a practice Oct. 26, but his return was premature and he was then put on injured reserve.

The Maple Leafs have lost three games to Boston this season, including a 6-3 decision at Air Canada Centre Tuesday night.

Following practice Friday, Reimer made it clear he was ready for action and he'd love to face Boston Saturday night.

"It would be big," Reimer said. "We beat them a bunch of times down the stretch last year and I'm sure we can beat them again this year."

Regardless if he plays Saturday, Reimer was thrilled to be cleared for action.

"I'm ecstatic," he said. "I love to play. This is what I love to do. To be able to get into the lineup - and even to get back to practising - is great. When you are sitting in (the dressing room) during the practices, not only is it boring, it just hangs around you. You want to get back out there so bad."

Gustavsson and rookie Ben Scrivens gave the Leafs some decent games, but neither has enjoyed the success Reimer has, even if he is not that much more experienced than his goalie mates. The biggest difference between Reimer and the others is, while he may allow the odd bad goal, when he does, he has displayed the ability to then shut the door. His teammates know this and it gives them a little peace of mind.

"He has proven that he can be the No. 1 goalie and he's been very consistent since he made our team," Wilson said. "He played so well last year and this year he hasn't lost a game (in regulation) in the few that he played. I think when you have great confidence in your goalie, you usually score more often and play pretty well in front of the goalie. Fortunately in the last couple of weeks our goaltending looked confident and you saw the number of goals that we scored in that time frame."

To a man the Leafs will tell you they were comfortable with the play of Gustavsson and Scrivens, but getting your starter back gives you a lift.

"It's big," said defenceman John-Michael Liles. "We've been battling here for the past few weeks with injuries and guys have stepped up and played some pretty big games. We've gotten some very good contributions from guys and that's what you need when the injury bug hits. Getting Reimer back is huge for us. He's put up some great numbers in the games he

played. The Monster played great for us, but getting Reimer back in a big boost for the team."

Reimer said sitting out was painful, but it was not the longest stretch of inactivity in his career. In junior he suffered an ankle injury at Christmas time that kept him out for the remainder of the season.

"It's not the longest, but it sure has been frustrating," Reimer said. "There are positives to being out, though. You get to see the game from a different perspective and that's priceless. When you watch the game from up top it's so different. You can see how plays develop. I tried to take this time to learn the game better and hopefully I can apply that to my game coming back."

Targeting goaltenders has become the favorite pastime for many NHL skaters and certainly a regular tactic to get the stoppers off their game. Although it didn't appear that Gionta hit Reimer purposely, there are skaters who will take every opportunity to "accidentally" bump a goalie when they see the chance. Just about everybody who witnessed the collision between Boston's Milan Lucic and Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller - except NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan - believes the hulking Bruins forward made contact purposely.

So will Reimer be a little gun shy when he gets back into action? When the crease crashers come calling?

"I sure hope not," Reimer said. "I feel great. It's not even in the back of my mind at all. Even in practice I haven't even thought about it. I don't think there'll be any hesitation out there during the game. They're going to do their job and I'm going to do my best to see the puck. I'm not worried."

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USA TODAY / Streaky Red Wings go for seven wins in a row

By Kevin Allen, USA TODAY

Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard is putting together a stellar season with his stats and consistency.

Which Detroit team is the true Detroit team? Why the team that's on the winning streak today might be the real Red Wings:

1. Goalie Jimmy Howard has taken a major step in his development. He has been a model of consistency, and he's at or the near the top of the leaderboard in every statistical category.

2. The Red Wings are playing far better defensively than they played last season.

3. Ian White has been a strong replacement for the retired Brian Rafalski. He's not quite as dangerous a passer as Rafalski was. But he has been better defensively than Rafalski was last season. With his bad back, Rafalski had trouble going back to get the puck when it was dumped in. White does that effectively, and the Red Wings have been surprised at how competitive he is in battling with opponents.

4. Valtteri Filppula is playing the best hockey of his career, giving Detroit two dynamic scoring lines. He has 20 points in his first 23 games.

5. Defensemen Jonathan Ericsson and Jakub Kindl are playing with a much higher degree of confidence.

6. Johan Franzen has emerged from last season's late-season scoring slump. He's leading the Red Wings with 23 points in 23 games.

7. With Rafalski gone, defenseman Niklas Kronwall has taken it upon himself to create more offense. He's driving deeper into the offensive zone.

8. The Red Wings haven't come close to being at their best. Henrik Zetterberg can play better, as can Todd Bertuzzi, Dan Cleary and Darren Helm. This team still has a higher gear.

9. Jiri Hudler is in the doghouse less this season with two goals and 10 assists in an average of 13 minutes per game.

10. At 41, Nicklas Lidstrom is the Red Wings' best player almost every night. He easily could win his eighth Norris Trophy this season.

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YAHOO SPORTS / Blues man: St. Louis humming Hitchcock’s tune

By Nicholas J. Cotsonika, Yahoo! Sports Dec 2, 1:08 pm EST

Sure, Ken Hitchcock remembers what he said Nov. 7 when he was introduced as the coach of the St. Louis Blues. He remembers he was “not bragging but being factual” when he said “that the game’s always been in slow motion” for him behind the bench.

But he also remembers how he felt Nov. 8 when he made his debut against the Chicago Blackhawks. He remembers how he felt for his first three games, in fact. The game didn’t seem in slow motion at all. It felt quick. Real quick.

He figured he had a handle on everything because he had been studying video while out of work since February 2010. But this was live action, not television, and here he was clinging to a lineup card for the first time in his career, not knowing who was on the power play, not knowing who was killing penalties, not knowing a number of things that coaches are supposed to know.

“I think it’s hard,” Hitchcock said. “I think it’s a lot harder than I said it was and a lot harder than I thought it was.”

He was surprised that when the Blues took a couple of penalties, he was so harried that he didn’t take the time to lift his head to see who was in the box.

“I knew somebody in our sweater was over there, but I didn’t know the number,” Hitchcock said. “That’s when I came home and I said, ‘Man, I’ve got to get going here.’ “

And so he went home and visualized. He visualized jersey numbers. He visualized line combinations. He visualized matching lines, putting players out at the right time. He would spend at least 30 minutes visualizing, acutely aware of how competitive the NHL has become and how little margin for error there is.

“Even with the haves and the have-nots, there’s very little difference between the teams,” Hitchcock said. “So you make bad line matchups and you have the wrong people on the ice, you’re going to lose games that you have a chance to win.”

So when Hitchcock says it’s a lot harder than he thought, what does it mean when he has made it look so easy?

Hitchcock not only won his debut, the Blues beat the Blackhawks by a 3-0 score. They have beaten several other good teams, too – the Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals, not to mention the Pittsburgh Penguins, on the road, holding Sidney Crosby off the scoresheet one game after his triumphant two-goal, two-assist comeback from a concussion.

The Blues are 8-1-2 since Hitchcock took over. They have allowed only 15 goals in those 11 games.

It means three things:

One, taking over a team during the season really is a tremendous challenge for a coach, even a guy that came into the job with 533 regular-season victories and a Stanley Cup on his resume.

Two, the Blues were in position for a turnaround.

Three, Hitch is a damn good coach who is just being modest in his affable way, and maybe he has evolved into a better one – or at least a different one – than he was before.

Everyone expects a boost when teams change coaches during the season. Otherwise, teams would wait till the off-season to do their dirty work.

But it doesn’t always happen immediately. The Caps are 0-2 since replacing Bruce Boudreau with Dale Hunter. The Carolina Hurricanes are 0-2 since replacing Paul Maurice with Kirk Muller. (The Anaheim Ducks haven’t played yet since replacing Randy Carlyle with Boudreau; their new era starts Friday night.)

If you’re changing coaches, that means you have problems, and some teams’ problems run deeper than others. Some coaches are better equipped to solve them more quickly than others.

Hunter had no professional coaching experience when he took over a Caps team suffering from confidence and identity crises. Muller had no NHL head coaching experience when he took over a ‘Canes team floundering near the bottom of the league standings.

Hitchcock is an experienced coach who took over a team that really wasn’t that bad, a team that needed some tweaks and organization, a team primed to take the next step. The Blues started 6-7-0 under former coach Davis Payne and had five consecutive home games coming up. Effort was not an issue, either.

“Davis did a great job of that, getting everybody ready to work,” said veteran winger Jamie Langenbrunner.

Hitch can play it off all he wants, saying the experience has been a “wee bit of a whirlwind,” pointing out that he kept getting lost on his way to the practice rink and the arena. But somehow he knew how to point the players in the right direction right away.

“I think the one thing he did is, he simplified it,” Langenbrunner said. “Guys have a little better understanding of where we’re going. We’re all competing on the same page now instead of just running around with our heads cut off a little bit. It shows in our positioning and in our ability to really make it hard on other teams to generate anything.”

The Blues are playing defensive hockey, but not the kind of sit-back, slow-it-down hockey Hitchcock once used to win the Cup with the Dallas Stars – the kind of hockey with which he is still associated even though he went on to coach the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets. This is the new, faster NHL, and this is a younger, faster team. The Blues are smart and structured, but their tempo is crisp. Short shifts. Go hard. Keep coming. Support each other.

Hitch can say the game felt quick at first, but look at how his team is playing.

“Obviously we’ve just had an overall quicker pace to our game and played a little bit better,” said general manager Doug Armstrong.

Hitchcock is known for being an outstanding tactician, and his players rave about his game plans and in-game adjustments. The Blues earned a 3-2 overtime victory over the Penguins on Nov. 23 partly because they took away the Pens’ patented breakout – the one where they throw the puck up the strong-side wall and generate speed through the neutral zone, the one that led to Crosby’s dramatic comeback goal two nights earlier.

The Blues already were allowing few shots before Hitchcock arrived, but Armstrong said that was a bit skewed because they were often playing from behind – pushing on the attack while the other team was playing prevent defense. But now the Blues are leading the league in shots against (25.6) and goals against (2.00) while playing from ahead more often.

Captain David Backes and center T.J. Oshie have responded particularly well to the coaching change. Guys like center Patrik Berglund and winger Chris Stewart are killing penalties now, because Hitchcock believes in getting his better players more involved in the game. The penalty kill has improved.

Goaltender Brian Elliott has continued to be one of the biggest surprises of the season. After struggling with both the Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators last season, he signed a one-year, $600,000 deal to back up Jaroslav Halak in St. Louis. Now he is 10-1-0 and leads the NHL in goals-against average (1.31) and save percentage (.951).

“If we knew that this was going to be the outcome,” general manager Doug Armstrong cracked, “we would have signed him to a three- or four-year deal.”

But after a slow start, Halak has been better lately, too. Most everything and everyone has clicked or continued to click under Hitchcock.

“I think he’s done a very good job of trying to get everybody to be part of the program quickly,” Armstrong said, “and we just have to continue with that.”

A main subject when Hitchcock was hired was his ability to adapt not only his strategy to today’s NHL, but his approach to today’s player. There are many stories about Hitch’s high-strung tendencies. You’ve heard them. The Blues have heard them, too.

“You’ve always got to keep an open mind when a guy comes in, but you also do your research,” said defenseman Barret Jackman, who declined to reveal his sources. “You hear some stories – good and bad.”

Hitch has gotten mad already.

“Oh, don’t you worry about that,” said a smiling Langenbrunner, who also played for Hitchcock in Dallas. “He still has his moments. He’s a perfectionist.”

But Hitchcock hasn’t had that much to be mad about yet, and he insists he is more serene and secure now at this stage of his career. He knows that he knows the X’s and O’s. He isn’t worried whether the players like him. He isn’t bothered by what people say about him.

“I think it’s like a lot of older coaches,” said Hitchcock, who turns 60 on Dec. 17. “We just get calm, because we’re confident in those areas, so then we almost develop a teacher mentality. We’re still as competitive as hell, but we come at it from a different angle.”

Today’s players? It’s not that you can’t get mad at them. It’s not that you can’t yell at them. It’s that you can’t rant and rave without giving them a good reason and a solution to the problem.

“I think this age of players wants the information,” Hitchcock said. “They want it now, but you better make sure it’s right. So they don’t mind getting critiqued and they don’t mind getting criticized, but they also want to know how to fix it.”

Said Armstrong: “[Hitchcock is] a demanding coach, but we need a demanding coach. … His patience hasn’t been tested, but I think when they do [test his patience], he’ll find a different way to go about getting his point across than maybe he had to in the past.”

The Blues are bound to test Hitchcock’s patience. It’s unlikely the goaltending will continue to be this great. It’s unlikely the goals against will remain this low. It’s unlikely the team will keep winning at this pace.

Hitchcock is going to have to find a way to generate more offense. The power play – which Hitchcock said would take one practice to fix – produced a goal in each of Hitch’s first two games but has gone 2-for-32 since. It ranks last in the league (8.8 percent), just as it did before he was hired.

But the Blues have been winning while shorthanded. Two of their best players – David Perron and Andy McDonald – have been out with concussions, among other injuries. That says something.

“We are going through that phase like a lot of teams, missing a lot of players and still getting points, and the reason we’re getting points is that we have responded,” Hitchcock said. “We’ve dug in, and I think that’s the thing that’s impressed me the most. When I’ve asked for a little more, they’ve given me a little more.”

And there seems to be even more to give.

Jackman said the Blues have “turned the corner,” saying Hitchcock took the great chemistry that already existed in the room and “just really harnessed that and put it towards the game.”

The game seemed quick to Hitch at first. But he got the Blues playing quicker, and he put them in playoff position quickly. They might be there to stay.

“We’re not a flashy team,” Jackman said. “We’re not going to be a team that probably blows out teams 8-1. But we’re a very sound team. We’re going to fly under the radar and keep collecting our wins …”

Jackman smiled.

“And you never know what happens.”

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